It dawned on me that if we can somehow make just 40% of the young people in this country aware of what is going on, and get them interested and involved in the process to fix it, then we have won the battle. If not the war. After all, it seems to me, that many if not most, of the people who are the maddest about a government and Federal Reserve and corporations who are out of control are likely the same people who protested the Vietnam war and corporate greed in the 1960's. The baby boom generation contains a lot of 'old hippies'. Many still feel just as distrustful of government and corporations as they did 'back in the day'. I might add, for good reason...
Things in this country have become progressively worse for decades now. As our morality declined our society as a whole has faced ever larger moral hazards. It's not just the banks/corporations and the government. It's pretty much everyone at every level. Everyone was/is over-extended, using way too much leverage, way too much credit. From the welfare mom with a credit card(s) to the traders/management at Goldman Sachs to every level of government. This is true of this country regardless of which 'party' controls the power. That is simply because they are ALL corrupt greedy lying untrustworthy buffoons. The FED and the Treasury want to convince us that the problem is that not enough credit is available... BULLSHIT! The problem is that way TOO much credit was available! The problem is DEBT!
The 'old hippies' were involved in politics, in policy matters, in the pursuit of 'fairness' for everyone. Not just the corporations and the elite/politicians among us. If we can involve today's young people in the same way we just might achieve a little change for real. Perhaps many of them will feel a kinship with the 'old hippies'. If only we could help them understand what is happening to their country.
So lets be smart and educate and enlist the youth of today to help us regain control of this country. Lets make sure they understand what is going on and why. Lets let them know that it's not 'normal' to pay 20% and 30% interest rates on anything! Lets let them know that even participating in such a scam brands them as idiots. Lets make them aware of the fact that they have been played for fools for years now. Their pockets stuffed with credit cards, student loans piled on their backs, the propaganda that if you don't have two new cars every other year then there must be something 'wrong' with you. That your first home should be a McMansion because you 'deserve no less'. That if you do not own the latest greatest phone with all the available features then you're just not very darned cool...
Education was/is an important part of what needs to occur in this country. But not the education pushed by our financial industry and government elites. Education, in this country, has simply become one more way to easily, systematically, remove cash from the pockets of Americans.
It was all a 'well planned scam' from the beginning. It became Wall Street 'chic' the be the biggest 'thief' in the room. Like just about everything else in this economy it was just the inflation of a bubble by the bubble blowers. Just another ponzi scheme dreamed up by the financial elites. But this time IS different. This time 'they' have done some real and tangible damage...
As a result, IMO, what we sorely need to fix not only this economy but also this government is some old fashioned economics. Like a serious 'bout of deflation. As painful as that might be it would also be 'cleansing'. If we have 40% more 'fast food joints' than we need then 40% of them need to go away. Ditto auto dealers, new and used, ditto insurance companies, banks, hospitals, bowling alleys, movie houses, whatever... Deflation is a wonderful 'mechanism' that 'adjusts' our economy to the proper levels. Deflation is not the horrible monster that so many portray it to be. Deflation is a normal/natural part of the economic system. It exists to correct excesses. It exists to bring cost into line with wages. It exists to help end greed and corruption. I openly and admittedly lust after a real deflationary spiral because I believe that is the only thing that can save us. The only thing that can rid us of the corrupt greedy thieves that prey on as many of us as possible. Throughout business and government.
The good old 'constructive destruction' argument. But, once again, this time IS different. This time the politicians cannot, will not, deal with the pain. Our system is so incredibly twisted and warped by politics now that our politicians REFUSE to allow our economy/markets to follow their natural course of correction. Not to save US but to save THEMSELVES. There is SO MUCH greed and corruption in our government and economy that this 'constructive destruction', this 'deflationary spiral' is the only thing powerful enough to correct it.
As I state fairly frequently here, WE can fix this situation ourselves. We can force deflation by refusing to be continually 'ripped off' by everyone. It's time to stop being stupid in America. It's time to stop paying 16.00 a pound for hamburger just because Hardy's cooks it for us. It's time to stop paying 30% on credit card 'loans' to finance our everyday existence. It's time to stop allowing the utility companies to steal from us by drastically inflating the cost of our own natural resources and tacking on as many 'fees' as the 'law' will allow. It's time to stop paying the drug companies 2 or 3 times what they charge other countries for the very same (dangerous) drugs. It's time to stop going to the doctor every time we have a runny nose. Stop paying it! If we all stop paying it it will deflate in value. In my opinion that's what we need.
It's time to STAND UP and be Americans!
From Wikipedia: Deflation is generally regarded negatively, as it causes a transfer of wealth from borrowers and holders of illiquid assets, to the benefit of savers and of holders of liquid assets and currency. (Sounds like a transfer from the irresponsible to the responsible to me. We can't have that now can we... Ben)
In economics, deflation is a decrease in the general price level of goods and services. Deflation occurs when the inflation rate falls below zero percent, resulting in an increase in the real value of money – a negative inflation rate. (Emphasis mine.)
Greg
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Voices from the past (post #2 of series)
If God is the living, vital, ever-creating Spirit that I believe he is, then he reigns not over a vast sea named Status Quo, but over a vast sea named Everlasting Life. Through that sea eternal tides are forever sweeping, and all mariners who refuse the safe harbors and dare the open sea will be borne, I believe, by those tides to the shores of ever more wondrous continents of truth and being.
I believe in life that is ever casting off it's old forms and ever emerging in new and more perfect forms. I believe that God is the creative and sustaining spirit that undergirds and broods over and moves through it all. Because I believe this, I seek and I commend to you not the first kind of certainty, where all is said and done, finished and settled and concluded, but the second kind of certainty. I seek and commend to you the certainty that believes that much remains to be said and done; the certainty that sees beyond each finished task a new and more alluring task, waiting to be undertaken; the certainty that believes God waits to reveal new splendors as we are ready to receive them.
Quoted "From Confusion to Certainty" by Boynton Merrill, D.D. copyright 1931
Used without permission.
I promise I'm NOT a preacher! lol But does this not SCREAM the TRUTH?! We MUST evolve, all of us! This system of ours has failed us miserably. Lets end it and find "ever more wondrous continents of truth and being". God IS with us, ever toiling in the background on our behalf. Forever on our side. This truly IS the end of an age. We are ALL living through history in the making. Believe with me "much remains to be said and done; the certainty that sees beyond each finished task a new and more alluring task, waiting to be undertaken; the certainty that believes God waits to reveal new splendors as we are ready to receive them."
Cast off your 'old forms' with me.
Previous post 'The status quo must go'
This 'series' is intended as a Public Service.
Greg
I believe in life that is ever casting off it's old forms and ever emerging in new and more perfect forms. I believe that God is the creative and sustaining spirit that undergirds and broods over and moves through it all. Because I believe this, I seek and I commend to you not the first kind of certainty, where all is said and done, finished and settled and concluded, but the second kind of certainty. I seek and commend to you the certainty that believes that much remains to be said and done; the certainty that sees beyond each finished task a new and more alluring task, waiting to be undertaken; the certainty that believes God waits to reveal new splendors as we are ready to receive them.
Quoted "From Confusion to Certainty" by Boynton Merrill, D.D. copyright 1931
Used without permission.
I promise I'm NOT a preacher! lol But does this not SCREAM the TRUTH?! We MUST evolve, all of us! This system of ours has failed us miserably. Lets end it and find "ever more wondrous continents of truth and being". God IS with us, ever toiling in the background on our behalf. Forever on our side. This truly IS the end of an age. We are ALL living through history in the making. Believe with me "much remains to be said and done; the certainty that sees beyond each finished task a new and more alluring task, waiting to be undertaken; the certainty that believes God waits to reveal new splendors as we are ready to receive them."
Cast off your 'old forms' with me.
Previous post 'The status quo must go'
This 'series' is intended as a Public Service.
Greg
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Voices from the past (post #1 of series)
"The idea that human personality has no worth or value or meaning or purpose has been gaining headway, just as it always has gained headway in periods like this, when men have been primarily intent upon things."
"It is inevitable that we should have a decay of what we call moral standards, and a derisive attitude toward ways of behaving that we once thought were the simple decencies of civilized men and women."
Quoted "From Confusion to Certainty" by Boynton Merrill, D.D. copyright 1931 (Used without permission. So arrest me or something...)
Greg
"It is inevitable that we should have a decay of what we call moral standards, and a derisive attitude toward ways of behaving that we once thought were the simple decencies of civilized men and women."
Quoted "From Confusion to Certainty" by Boynton Merrill, D.D. copyright 1931 (Used without permission. So arrest me or something...)
Greg
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Just interesting to know...
Listen up...
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
Ezekiel 25:17
It's coming... Are you ready?
Read The Prophesied End-Time Revealed - 2008 - God's Final Witness
Greg
And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.
Ezekiel 25:17
It's coming... Are you ready?
Read The Prophesied End-Time Revealed - 2008 - God's Final Witness
Greg
The status quo must go
Let me be clear. I love capitalism. I always have. I love freedom as well. I am an American. However, what has been going on in this country for the last few decades is a bastardization of capitalism.
I love the ideal of entrepreneurs providing useful goods and services, at a fair profit, to the general population.
This is not at all what has been taking place in this country over the past few decades. Or now...
'Money for nothin' and your chicks for free' was a good song but...
Our entire financial system and government have been completely taken over by greed and corruption, pride and envy. The elites have spent decades now trying to sell the American people on the idea that we should be the same as 'they'.
To spend far more than we make through the reckless use of easy, though danger laden, credit agreements.
To take massive amounts of risk in the hopes of 'hitting the jackpot' or 'getting rich quick'.
To take advantage, whenever possible, of those less fortunate than ourselves. From the use/abuse of cheap labor to the intentional creation of a financially illiterate underclass from which to 'feed the greed'.
To 'steal', as long as it can somehow fit within the letter of the law.
To use obfuscation and complexity to conceal theft through abusive 'fees' and 'traps'
To be, essentially, dishonest and untrustworthy.
But, now that all that has miserably failed them, the financial elite are brutally confiscating our wealth with the eager assistance of our own government. The 'representatives' of the American people, or so we are told. The quasi-government Federal Reserve System has piled an unimaginable amount of debt upon our grandchildren's grandchildren. It can never be repaid.
We are all now intended slaves to the financial elite and a dictatorial government.
This cannot stand in the United States of America.
We the people can effect change. We the people are the only true 'government' that exists. The Washington elites are there to 'represent' us.
I say that they DO NOT.
As I have said here before. We the people also wield the most powerful weapon of all. We the people represent 70% of the economy. We the people control the economy. I say, since those in Washington choose to ignore us and the corporate elites continue to steal our wealth while damaging and destroying American families, that we the people take control of the situation ourselves. I say that we the people dismantle this economically failed monstrosity.
The ensuing collapse of our economy and, soon after, our government, will be an chaotic time in American history, but it is necessary. It is, very simply put, out with the old and in with the new. It is but a fresh start for America. So that She may, once again, be a shining beacon of freedom and liberty for the rest of the world. It must at once, come to an end and begin anew. We the people must, once again, lead the world to a better place.
All we need to achieve this worthy goal is to, from this day forward, refuse to play the 'game'.
We need communication, we need to spread the word.
Help me save the United States of America and the world by seeking REAL change.
Withhold all the funds, starve them for money, peacefully resist at every opportunity. Refuse to play the 'game'. Spread the word to all your friends and family. Help others to understand that the status quo must go, before we can once again be free.
It will be painful but we will survive. And the entire world will benefit, thanks to our ever enduring love of freedom. Thanks to the ever enduring desire of the American people to lead.
Thanks to our never ending desire not only to be financially secure but also to be socially and morally secure.
Our economic and social models have proven to be dismal failures. We must completely dismantle our entire infrastructure, yea our entire culture. We must evolve in our endeavor to find humanity, true justice and freedom, for mankind.
It is merely the American thing to do...
Greg
I love the ideal of entrepreneurs providing useful goods and services, at a fair profit, to the general population.
This is not at all what has been taking place in this country over the past few decades. Or now...
'Money for nothin' and your chicks for free' was a good song but...
Our entire financial system and government have been completely taken over by greed and corruption, pride and envy. The elites have spent decades now trying to sell the American people on the idea that we should be the same as 'they'.
To spend far more than we make through the reckless use of easy, though danger laden, credit agreements.
To take massive amounts of risk in the hopes of 'hitting the jackpot' or 'getting rich quick'.
To take advantage, whenever possible, of those less fortunate than ourselves. From the use/abuse of cheap labor to the intentional creation of a financially illiterate underclass from which to 'feed the greed'.
To 'steal', as long as it can somehow fit within the letter of the law.
To use obfuscation and complexity to conceal theft through abusive 'fees' and 'traps'
To be, essentially, dishonest and untrustworthy.
But, now that all that has miserably failed them, the financial elite are brutally confiscating our wealth with the eager assistance of our own government. The 'representatives' of the American people, or so we are told. The quasi-government Federal Reserve System has piled an unimaginable amount of debt upon our grandchildren's grandchildren. It can never be repaid.
We are all now intended slaves to the financial elite and a dictatorial government.
This cannot stand in the United States of America.
We the people can effect change. We the people are the only true 'government' that exists. The Washington elites are there to 'represent' us.
I say that they DO NOT.
As I have said here before. We the people also wield the most powerful weapon of all. We the people represent 70% of the economy. We the people control the economy. I say, since those in Washington choose to ignore us and the corporate elites continue to steal our wealth while damaging and destroying American families, that we the people take control of the situation ourselves. I say that we the people dismantle this economically failed monstrosity.
The ensuing collapse of our economy and, soon after, our government, will be an chaotic time in American history, but it is necessary. It is, very simply put, out with the old and in with the new. It is but a fresh start for America. So that She may, once again, be a shining beacon of freedom and liberty for the rest of the world. It must at once, come to an end and begin anew. We the people must, once again, lead the world to a better place.
All we need to achieve this worthy goal is to, from this day forward, refuse to play the 'game'.
We need communication, we need to spread the word.
Help me save the United States of America and the world by seeking REAL change.
Withhold all the funds, starve them for money, peacefully resist at every opportunity. Refuse to play the 'game'. Spread the word to all your friends and family. Help others to understand that the status quo must go, before we can once again be free.
It will be painful but we will survive. And the entire world will benefit, thanks to our ever enduring love of freedom. Thanks to the ever enduring desire of the American people to lead.
Thanks to our never ending desire not only to be financially secure but also to be socially and morally secure.
Our economic and social models have proven to be dismal failures. We must completely dismantle our entire infrastructure, yea our entire culture. We must evolve in our endeavor to find humanity, true justice and freedom, for mankind.
It is merely the American thing to do...
Greg
Monday, August 10, 2009
The TROUBLE with Twitter
Now, it seems to me, the government is concentrating on 'attacking' social networking as a part of their recent effort to define anyone who disagrees with their policies as an extremist. Accusing the American people of attempting to speak with OUR representatives ONLY so we can can get ourselves, or an amusing situation, on YouTube. I say... maybe that's how shallow and vain 'they' are but that does NOT represent the American people. And neither, apparently do they.
As I'm sure many of you already know, many many of our 'representatives' have DRASTICALLY changed their planned meetings with constituents. It seems now that the ONLY 'constituents' they are interested in speaking with are the ones who agree with all of their positions!
Recently there was much outrage, rightfully so IMO, about the White House's recent flag@whitehouse.gov mis-step. Can you IMAGINE the rage from the left had George Bush attempted to create a White House database that contained as much information as possible about anyone and everyone who 'disagreed' with him?! I suspect he might have been burned at the stake for such an egregious error!
This vocal, peaceful, dissent both will, and indeed should, continue. The dissent isn't really that much about health care reform or proposed cap & trade legislation. Those items may be the tipping points for the anger that is swelling in America but they are not the cause. The dissent is much more about a government that seems ever more dictatorial and tyrannical.
America has been very angry since George Bush and Hank Paulson seized 700 BILLION dollars from American tax payers against their will. Only to hand over the money to the very same corrupt institutions that played a major role in getting us into this situation in the first place. Followed by TRILLIONS of tax payer dollars (secretly?) handed out by the Federal Reserve. Bush also got the auto bailouts rolling by keeping them out of bankruptcy long enough to pass them off to Obama. Obama has only continued to bailout everything he can possibly bail out. Including further injection of tax payer money into the auto industry via the 'Cash for Clunkers' program. The MAJORITY of THAT tax payer money is and will end up in the hands of FOREIGN auto-makers! Of course this is but the tip of the iceberg as far as government interference and manipulation. It is on going in our markets and throughout every level of government.
Which brings me to my point... The TROUBLE with Twitter... In using twitter ourselves are we not handing a searchable database of the thoughts, ideas, joy and anger of MILLIONS of Americans over to a government that wants NOTHING MORE than that? Combine that with the government's obvious ability, and willingness, now, to 'trump up' charges against ANYONE they so choose. Government always just uses one of it's favorites to incarcerate anyone they choose. Be it fraud, obstruction, insider trading, lying to investigator's, extremism, terror plots or any other number of 'laws' that are sufficiently vague to allow for the prosecution and imprisonment of almost anyone!
Anyone who disliked the Patriot Act should be keenly aware of what we are voluntarily offering our government now, through the use of twitter. Twitter, in the hands of a corrupt dictatorial government, is a very frighting thing to me. Twitter allows unfettered government spying and intrusion into the life of any American they choose. This seems especially dangerous when combined with the Obama administration's seeming willingness to call ANYONE who disagrees with them an extremist.
Surely we all remember the total outrage over the Bush administration listening in on the phone conversations of Americans, without a court order, when and if they were speaking to someone outside the country who the Bush administration determined might have terrorist ties. Was that an OUTRAGEOUS invasion of privacy by the government? As we were told it was. But twitter hands, nearly, this same ability to anyone who would like to use it to pursue an agenda of any sort. There is absolutely NO oversight.
The communications revolution is over-running Washington and they are as afraid as I ever remember them being in my lifetime. I would bet the majority of the people who 'represent' us do not even know how to use a computer at all. All this communication between and among constituents across the country is frightening them very badly. They have never seen anything like it before and they obviously want it to stop.
They fear mass communication. What they fear even more is the possibility that the party paradigm is about to end for good. They have used the engineered division of Americans for their own purposes for decades. What they fear the most is UNITY among ALL of the American people. Democrats AND republicans alike, uniting as never before in our history against non-democratic, indeed unconstitutional, government actions. This at a time in our history which finds nearly ALL of our politicians flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to save themselves. Not us...
In my opinion the government of the United States will use all means/tools at their disposal, including the ruthless invasion of our privacy and stripping of our guaranteed freedoms, to defend themselves and their arrogant lifestyles. They will do whatever is necessary to put down any social unrest or public uprising. This makes us not a whit different than Iran...
We have voluntarily handed our government a huge searchable database of our own private thoughts and feelings. Good luck to us.
It is my own opinion that we MUST continue to PEACEFULLY resist the destruction of our constitution and our country. Dictatorial, tyrannical rule cannot be allowed in America. Let freedom ring, America. Close your pocketbooks and REFUSE to participate in their 'bubble economics'!
Greg
As I'm sure many of you already know, many many of our 'representatives' have DRASTICALLY changed their planned meetings with constituents. It seems now that the ONLY 'constituents' they are interested in speaking with are the ones who agree with all of their positions!
Recently there was much outrage, rightfully so IMO, about the White House's recent flag@whitehouse.gov mis-step. Can you IMAGINE the rage from the left had George Bush attempted to create a White House database that contained as much information as possible about anyone and everyone who 'disagreed' with him?! I suspect he might have been burned at the stake for such an egregious error!
This vocal, peaceful, dissent both will, and indeed should, continue. The dissent isn't really that much about health care reform or proposed cap & trade legislation. Those items may be the tipping points for the anger that is swelling in America but they are not the cause. The dissent is much more about a government that seems ever more dictatorial and tyrannical.
America has been very angry since George Bush and Hank Paulson seized 700 BILLION dollars from American tax payers against their will. Only to hand over the money to the very same corrupt institutions that played a major role in getting us into this situation in the first place. Followed by TRILLIONS of tax payer dollars (secretly?) handed out by the Federal Reserve. Bush also got the auto bailouts rolling by keeping them out of bankruptcy long enough to pass them off to Obama. Obama has only continued to bailout everything he can possibly bail out. Including further injection of tax payer money into the auto industry via the 'Cash for Clunkers' program. The MAJORITY of THAT tax payer money is and will end up in the hands of FOREIGN auto-makers! Of course this is but the tip of the iceberg as far as government interference and manipulation. It is on going in our markets and throughout every level of government.
Which brings me to my point... The TROUBLE with Twitter... In using twitter ourselves are we not handing a searchable database of the thoughts, ideas, joy and anger of MILLIONS of Americans over to a government that wants NOTHING MORE than that? Combine that with the government's obvious ability, and willingness, now, to 'trump up' charges against ANYONE they so choose. Government always just uses one of it's favorites to incarcerate anyone they choose. Be it fraud, obstruction, insider trading, lying to investigator's, extremism, terror plots or any other number of 'laws' that are sufficiently vague to allow for the prosecution and imprisonment of almost anyone!
Anyone who disliked the Patriot Act should be keenly aware of what we are voluntarily offering our government now, through the use of twitter. Twitter, in the hands of a corrupt dictatorial government, is a very frighting thing to me. Twitter allows unfettered government spying and intrusion into the life of any American they choose. This seems especially dangerous when combined with the Obama administration's seeming willingness to call ANYONE who disagrees with them an extremist.
Surely we all remember the total outrage over the Bush administration listening in on the phone conversations of Americans, without a court order, when and if they were speaking to someone outside the country who the Bush administration determined might have terrorist ties. Was that an OUTRAGEOUS invasion of privacy by the government? As we were told it was. But twitter hands, nearly, this same ability to anyone who would like to use it to pursue an agenda of any sort. There is absolutely NO oversight.
The communications revolution is over-running Washington and they are as afraid as I ever remember them being in my lifetime. I would bet the majority of the people who 'represent' us do not even know how to use a computer at all. All this communication between and among constituents across the country is frightening them very badly. They have never seen anything like it before and they obviously want it to stop.
They fear mass communication. What they fear even more is the possibility that the party paradigm is about to end for good. They have used the engineered division of Americans for their own purposes for decades. What they fear the most is UNITY among ALL of the American people. Democrats AND republicans alike, uniting as never before in our history against non-democratic, indeed unconstitutional, government actions. This at a time in our history which finds nearly ALL of our politicians flailing wildly in a desperate attempt to save themselves. Not us...
In my opinion the government of the United States will use all means/tools at their disposal, including the ruthless invasion of our privacy and stripping of our guaranteed freedoms, to defend themselves and their arrogant lifestyles. They will do whatever is necessary to put down any social unrest or public uprising. This makes us not a whit different than Iran...
We have voluntarily handed our government a huge searchable database of our own private thoughts and feelings. Good luck to us.
It is my own opinion that we MUST continue to PEACEFULLY resist the destruction of our constitution and our country. Dictatorial, tyrannical rule cannot be allowed in America. Let freedom ring, America. Close your pocketbooks and REFUSE to participate in their 'bubble economics'!
Greg
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The story of 'they'
I tend to talk a lot about 'THEY' these days... Here is a true story, fictitious names, about exactly who 'they' are and the ridiculous lengths 'they' are willing to go to get our money...
Being as brief as possible, the story is about a caring business owner, John, who had the responsibility to take care of the finances of one of his long term clients who had grown also to be very dear friends over the course of many years. So close that he had the full trust of these clients and functioned on their behalf as power of attorney.
John needed this P of A as Penny was now a 76 year old woman and no longer capable of properly caring for herself. Her husband, Dan, had been ill for several years, Alzheimer's, and is now in a VA nursing home. Dan is somewhere close to 80 years old. He likely no longer even knows who Penny is... Penny is fortunate to have many long time friends who care deeply for her. Some of these close friends help to look after Penny, cleaning, shopping and the like.
One day one of these long time family friends,'Becky' received a phone call, on behalf of Penny and Dan, from a phone company. can I name them? Should I? Ok... AT&T.
But, this story IS NOT ABOUT AT&T, it is a story about 'they'. AT&T is but a single representative of 'they'. All of the large phone companies represent 'they'. So do the mortgage companies, the large banks, the credit card companies, the insurance companies, the hospitals, the drug companies, the payday loan companies, the rent-to-own companies, I could, obviously, go on much more here but I think you get the point. These are but a few of the representatives of 'they'. The 'they' who clamor after our wealth.
Apparently Becky became a little confused by the phone call. Becky is in her 50's, as am I, and I can attest to the fact that a little confusion does occur from time to time... Somehow she believed she was signing up for some sort of internet advertising for Penny and Dan's business, which was closing and liquidating. Surely 'they' would never 'intentionally' mislead her...
The next month when the phone bill arrived, at John's business as usual, a strange charge of 49.95 was noticed on the bill and questioned. The description of the charge, on the bill itself, was very... well... nondescript... So John first checked with Becky, who was unsure what the charge was for herself. So John called the company, AT&T, to find out what the new 49.95 charge was for. Turns out the mysterious 49.95 charge was for high speed internet access. Which, as we all know, is cool. Cool unless, you are a 76 year old woman who can no longer care for herself or an 80 year old man who is in a VA nursing home. So John explained this to the phone company along with the fact that Penny and Dan did not even OWN a computer. So AT&T canceled the service and advised John to remit the bill minus the 49.95 charge. Which he did...
So done deal right? No problem.
Wrong...
When the next month's bill arrived it still showed an unpaid charge of 49.95 and also included a 5.00 late fee on that amount. So, once again, John called the phone company, explained the situation, and was instructed to ignore the 49.95 charge as a billing error. Penny has died now, cancer, Dan is still in a VA nursing home and John is a very busy man, running a small business.
Now six months have gone by, the errant 49.95 charge remains on the bill and remains unpaid. A late fee is added every single month, like clockwork, and now the initial 49.95 has grown to more than 80.00. It has also now been turned over to a collection agency.
John's answer at this point? "Let 'them' come and take it from Dan"...
My whole purpose in relaying this story is merely to point out the fact that these people, these corporations, 'they', pull this same sort of scam all across this country every single day. Penny was fortunate to have a professional business owner who attempted to deal with the situation on her behalf. Even he cannot seem to prevail.
Try to imagine a 76 year old woman trying to deal with it, alone. Imagine all the busy, at times inattentive, people in this country who are forced to find time, they do not have, to deal with these obvious 'in your face' rip offs. 'They' have found the young, the elderly and the distracted/irresponsible to be easy prey for their dishonest and unethical practices. 'They' continually rip off ordinary people at every single opportunity and intentionally make it nearly impossible to correct a situation once the cycle has begun. 'They' have become so blinded by greed, corruption and the "love OF money" that 'they' know not what 'they' do.
These corporations are the cancer that grows and spreads in our society and 'they' must be cut out.
Our government, all of it, all of 'them', democrats and republicans alike, are the strongest allies these corporations have. So yes 'they' includes our own government also... 'They' don't ever seem to hear anything we say. We try to explain to 'them' where and how 'they' have gone horribly wrong. But 'they' have their own game to consider. 'They' depend on each other. Our government officials receive campaign funding, and God only knows what else, from these greedy, corrupt institutions. 'They' need the money. 'They' must have the money, and the perks. Our government has it's hands in the pockets of all of 'them'. Need I say AIG, GM, Chrysler, all the major banks, all the large insurance companies, many others. Now 'they' want our entire health care industry. 'They', between 'themselves' have many (secret?) agreements and understandings that we will never know about. Of course the Federal Reserve Bank is a part of 'they' as well. 'They' are particularly good at working in secrecy, behind closed doors, concealing the truth from the American people.
'They' are all pretending everything is fine or going to be fine. Our country is falling apart all around us this very moment. 'They' are jockeying for position, trying to stay a step ahead of what is to come. For the sake of brevity I am not going to go into what I feel is to come here. Some of my previous posts point to much of what I expect. Also, I believe, merely reading "The Prophesied End-Time Revealed" presents a very clear picture of our not too distant future.
Until the day all this greed and corruption no longer exists this economy and country will continue to fail. 'They' have not changed a thing still yet! 'They' only struggle mightily to reflate the credit bubble just long enough to get out of office and out of town. 'They' MUST face and confront all of the greed and corruption and eliminate it, but 'they' dare not. It is the way 'they' have evolved over time. 'They' know no other way to function.
Our very own corporations and government are the beast that devours us. The beast that attacks our young and naive. The beast that attacks our elderly and vulnerable. The beast that attacks those of weak mind, body and spirit.
That is who 'they' are. That is how 'they' operate.
'They' seek only to steal our wealth and our freedom.
Is there anything at all we can do? YES! For one, the most obvious thing we can do is throw out every incumbent in office in the house and the senate in every election cycle beginning with 2010 mid terms. The house's approval rating is in the low teens. How DO they manage to return to represent us year after year? Decade after decade? Are our elections still valid, honest? Or have they become so gerry mandered and politicized that they no longer even resemble what they were once meant to be? Are we Iran?
There is one more thing that we CAN do. One more thing that, in my opinion, we MUST do. We can have a major impact through the use of a non-violent resistance/revolution. All Americans have to do is clamp SHUT their collective pocketbooks! WE represent 70% of the US economy. WE can help the markets force ALL the greed and corruption out of the system. 'They' need the money a lot more than we do. It is all 'they' seek, our wealth. Our freedom be damned. Our constitution trampled under foot.
For any Americans out there who might fear government repercussions for voicing their own heartfelt opinions...
You have lost your freedom already...
We cannot and WILL NOT fear those who represent us!
This economy has been a debt/credit/FED/government, fueled manipulated house of cards for decades now. Lets fix it. Together.
Twitter is down. A denial of service attack. Could 'they' possibly be behind it? Would 'they' seek to disrupt/destroy our communications network? To put a stop to the voicing of our opinions? Would 'they' now seek to remove our first amendment right? Remember Iran and keep a close eye on exactly what 'they' are doing. Not what 'they' are saying.
As John Lennon once said 'Strange days, indeed'.
Greg
Being as brief as possible, the story is about a caring business owner, John, who had the responsibility to take care of the finances of one of his long term clients who had grown also to be very dear friends over the course of many years. So close that he had the full trust of these clients and functioned on their behalf as power of attorney.
John needed this P of A as Penny was now a 76 year old woman and no longer capable of properly caring for herself. Her husband, Dan, had been ill for several years, Alzheimer's, and is now in a VA nursing home. Dan is somewhere close to 80 years old. He likely no longer even knows who Penny is... Penny is fortunate to have many long time friends who care deeply for her. Some of these close friends help to look after Penny, cleaning, shopping and the like.
One day one of these long time family friends,'Becky' received a phone call, on behalf of Penny and Dan, from a phone company. can I name them? Should I? Ok... AT&T.
But, this story IS NOT ABOUT AT&T, it is a story about 'they'. AT&T is but a single representative of 'they'. All of the large phone companies represent 'they'. So do the mortgage companies, the large banks, the credit card companies, the insurance companies, the hospitals, the drug companies, the payday loan companies, the rent-to-own companies, I could, obviously, go on much more here but I think you get the point. These are but a few of the representatives of 'they'. The 'they' who clamor after our wealth.
Apparently Becky became a little confused by the phone call. Becky is in her 50's, as am I, and I can attest to the fact that a little confusion does occur from time to time... Somehow she believed she was signing up for some sort of internet advertising for Penny and Dan's business, which was closing and liquidating. Surely 'they' would never 'intentionally' mislead her...
The next month when the phone bill arrived, at John's business as usual, a strange charge of 49.95 was noticed on the bill and questioned. The description of the charge, on the bill itself, was very... well... nondescript... So John first checked with Becky, who was unsure what the charge was for herself. So John called the company, AT&T, to find out what the new 49.95 charge was for. Turns out the mysterious 49.95 charge was for high speed internet access. Which, as we all know, is cool. Cool unless, you are a 76 year old woman who can no longer care for herself or an 80 year old man who is in a VA nursing home. So John explained this to the phone company along with the fact that Penny and Dan did not even OWN a computer. So AT&T canceled the service and advised John to remit the bill minus the 49.95 charge. Which he did...
So done deal right? No problem.
Wrong...
When the next month's bill arrived it still showed an unpaid charge of 49.95 and also included a 5.00 late fee on that amount. So, once again, John called the phone company, explained the situation, and was instructed to ignore the 49.95 charge as a billing error. Penny has died now, cancer, Dan is still in a VA nursing home and John is a very busy man, running a small business.
Now six months have gone by, the errant 49.95 charge remains on the bill and remains unpaid. A late fee is added every single month, like clockwork, and now the initial 49.95 has grown to more than 80.00. It has also now been turned over to a collection agency.
John's answer at this point? "Let 'them' come and take it from Dan"...
My whole purpose in relaying this story is merely to point out the fact that these people, these corporations, 'they', pull this same sort of scam all across this country every single day. Penny was fortunate to have a professional business owner who attempted to deal with the situation on her behalf. Even he cannot seem to prevail.
Try to imagine a 76 year old woman trying to deal with it, alone. Imagine all the busy, at times inattentive, people in this country who are forced to find time, they do not have, to deal with these obvious 'in your face' rip offs. 'They' have found the young, the elderly and the distracted/irresponsible to be easy prey for their dishonest and unethical practices. 'They' continually rip off ordinary people at every single opportunity and intentionally make it nearly impossible to correct a situation once the cycle has begun. 'They' have become so blinded by greed, corruption and the "love OF money" that 'they' know not what 'they' do.
These corporations are the cancer that grows and spreads in our society and 'they' must be cut out.
Our government, all of it, all of 'them', democrats and republicans alike, are the strongest allies these corporations have. So yes 'they' includes our own government also... 'They' don't ever seem to hear anything we say. We try to explain to 'them' where and how 'they' have gone horribly wrong. But 'they' have their own game to consider. 'They' depend on each other. Our government officials receive campaign funding, and God only knows what else, from these greedy, corrupt institutions. 'They' need the money. 'They' must have the money, and the perks. Our government has it's hands in the pockets of all of 'them'. Need I say AIG, GM, Chrysler, all the major banks, all the large insurance companies, many others. Now 'they' want our entire health care industry. 'They', between 'themselves' have many (secret?) agreements and understandings that we will never know about. Of course the Federal Reserve Bank is a part of 'they' as well. 'They' are particularly good at working in secrecy, behind closed doors, concealing the truth from the American people.
'They' are all pretending everything is fine or going to be fine. Our country is falling apart all around us this very moment. 'They' are jockeying for position, trying to stay a step ahead of what is to come. For the sake of brevity I am not going to go into what I feel is to come here. Some of my previous posts point to much of what I expect. Also, I believe, merely reading "The Prophesied End-Time Revealed" presents a very clear picture of our not too distant future.
Until the day all this greed and corruption no longer exists this economy and country will continue to fail. 'They' have not changed a thing still yet! 'They' only struggle mightily to reflate the credit bubble just long enough to get out of office and out of town. 'They' MUST face and confront all of the greed and corruption and eliminate it, but 'they' dare not. It is the way 'they' have evolved over time. 'They' know no other way to function.
Our very own corporations and government are the beast that devours us. The beast that attacks our young and naive. The beast that attacks our elderly and vulnerable. The beast that attacks those of weak mind, body and spirit.
That is who 'they' are. That is how 'they' operate.
'They' seek only to steal our wealth and our freedom.
Is there anything at all we can do? YES! For one, the most obvious thing we can do is throw out every incumbent in office in the house and the senate in every election cycle beginning with 2010 mid terms. The house's approval rating is in the low teens. How DO they manage to return to represent us year after year? Decade after decade? Are our elections still valid, honest? Or have they become so gerry mandered and politicized that they no longer even resemble what they were once meant to be? Are we Iran?
There is one more thing that we CAN do. One more thing that, in my opinion, we MUST do. We can have a major impact through the use of a non-violent resistance/revolution. All Americans have to do is clamp SHUT their collective pocketbooks! WE represent 70% of the US economy. WE can help the markets force ALL the greed and corruption out of the system. 'They' need the money a lot more than we do. It is all 'they' seek, our wealth. Our freedom be damned. Our constitution trampled under foot.
For any Americans out there who might fear government repercussions for voicing their own heartfelt opinions...
You have lost your freedom already...
We cannot and WILL NOT fear those who represent us!
This economy has been a debt/credit/FED/government, fueled manipulated house of cards for decades now. Lets fix it. Together.
Twitter is down. A denial of service attack. Could 'they' possibly be behind it? Would 'they' seek to disrupt/destroy our communications network? To put a stop to the voicing of our opinions? Would 'they' now seek to remove our first amendment right? Remember Iran and keep a close eye on exactly what 'they' are doing. Not what 'they' are saying.
As John Lennon once said 'Strange days, indeed'.
Greg
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The health care rant that SHOULD be heard around the world.
As it pertains to health care, and concerns government control of same, one great American lady manages to lay it all out for senator's Kathleen Sebelius and Arlen Spector in a way that surely even THEY can understand. I certainly could not have made the argument any better myself. Many kudos to this fine American lady.
Watch the Fox News video on Real Clear Politics
Watch the Fox News video on Real Clear Politics
The death of the health care industry
Something the President said in a recent speech has really troubled me for a bit now. The statement was "14,000 Americans a day are losing their health care coverage". If you look at that statement in a slightly different way it could also be said that "health insurance companies are losing 14,000 paying customers a day".
My theory is the obvious. That the majority of these 14,000 Americans a day are voluntarily dropping their health care coverage because they can better use the 5,000.00 to 6,000.00 per year to service debt, if not put food on the table. 6,000.00 per year is a 3.00 per hour raise for working families in a very tough economy. Certainly, to me at least, it even seems to make perfect sense for young healthy people.
Of course the problem with that is that it sets a trend in motion where, in the end, if it were to continue, only those with the greatest need of it would end up paying for health insurance. Health insurance would only cover those among us who are at greater risk of needing medical services.
This is, of course, the exact opposite of what many in Washington are now saying they would like to do. It is also the exact opposite of what the insurance companies want to have happen. What this group seems to be pushing to solve this problem is to force, by power of law, every citizen to pay money directly to a single sector of our economy, the health insurance industry.
This is what convinces me that the entire health care industry is nothing less than a fully inflated bubble. I believe the health insurance industry will likely end up just like the banks did. In a state of total collapse and seized by the Government.
What the congress, with help from the Obama administration, are currently doing on the health care issue is nothing more than a preemptive strike.
This would be outright theft.
If the health insurance industry needs to go bankrupt and consolidate then they should be allowed, yea forced, to do so. We cannot treat every sector like we did the banks... The health care industry represents 1/6th of our economy. Government cannot afford it. Neither, can we. If the insurance industry has priced itself out of business then they should FAIL. So many people seem to have forgotten that that is HOW capitalism WORKS!
I fear the collapse of the health care industry will be the death knell for the US economy. The US economy simply cannot with stand another shock of this magnitude.
To make health care truly affordable for all Americans would bankrupt the entire industry.
We could always make shorting health care stocks illegal...
Greg
My theory is the obvious. That the majority of these 14,000 Americans a day are voluntarily dropping their health care coverage because they can better use the 5,000.00 to 6,000.00 per year to service debt, if not put food on the table. 6,000.00 per year is a 3.00 per hour raise for working families in a very tough economy. Certainly, to me at least, it even seems to make perfect sense for young healthy people.
Of course the problem with that is that it sets a trend in motion where, in the end, if it were to continue, only those with the greatest need of it would end up paying for health insurance. Health insurance would only cover those among us who are at greater risk of needing medical services.
This is, of course, the exact opposite of what many in Washington are now saying they would like to do. It is also the exact opposite of what the insurance companies want to have happen. What this group seems to be pushing to solve this problem is to force, by power of law, every citizen to pay money directly to a single sector of our economy, the health insurance industry.
This is what convinces me that the entire health care industry is nothing less than a fully inflated bubble. I believe the health insurance industry will likely end up just like the banks did. In a state of total collapse and seized by the Government.
What the congress, with help from the Obama administration, are currently doing on the health care issue is nothing more than a preemptive strike.
This would be outright theft.
If the health insurance industry needs to go bankrupt and consolidate then they should be allowed, yea forced, to do so. We cannot treat every sector like we did the banks... The health care industry represents 1/6th of our economy. Government cannot afford it. Neither, can we. If the insurance industry has priced itself out of business then they should FAIL. So many people seem to have forgotten that that is HOW capitalism WORKS!
I fear the collapse of the health care industry will be the death knell for the US economy. The US economy simply cannot with stand another shock of this magnitude.
To make health care truly affordable for all Americans would bankrupt the entire industry.
We could always make shorting health care stocks illegal...
Greg
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