---
Order Of Revelation 4, Verses: 56
[74:0] In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
[74:1] O you hidden secret.
[74:2] Come out and warn.
[74:3] Extol your Lord.
[74:4] Purify your garment.
[74:5] Forsake what is wrong.
[74:6] Be content with your lot.
[74:7] Steadfastly commemorate your Lord.
[74:8] Then, when the horn is blown.
[74:9] That will be a difficult day.
[74:10] For the disbelievers, not easy.
[74:11] Let Me deal with one I created as an individual.
[74:12] I provided him with lots of money.
[74:13] And children to behold.
[74:14] I made everything easy for him.
[74:15] Yet, he is greedy for more.
[74:16] He stubbornly refused to accept these proofs.
[74:17] I will increasingly punish him. *74:1 God's infinite wisdom willed to reveal the Quran through Muhammad, while the Quran's awesome 19-based mathematical miracle was revealed through God's Messenger of the Covenant 1406 lunar years after revelation of the Quran (1406=19x74 & 1974 AD was the Solar Year of discovery). In retrospect, we realize that the whole sura refers to the Quran's 19-based miracle (Appendix 1 & 2 ).
*74:4 Quran is the garment containing the secret code. This refers to removing 9:128-129.
[74:18] For he reflected, then decided.
[74:19] Miserable is what he decided.
[74:20] Miserable indeed is what he decided.
[74:21] He looked.
[74:22] He frowned and whined.
[74:23] Then he turned away arrogantly.
[74:24] He said, "This is but clever magic!
[74:25] "This is human made."
[74:26] I will commit him to retribution.
[74:27] What retribution!
[74:28] Thorough and comprehensive.
[74:29] Obvious to all the people.
The Quran's Common Denominator
[74:30] Over it is nineteen.
[74:31] We appointed angels to be guardians of Hell, and we assigned their number (19) (1) to disturb the disbelievers, (2) to convince the Christians and Jews (that this is a divine scripture), (3) to strengthen the faith of the faithful, (4) to remove all traces of doubt from the hearts of Christians, Jews, as well as the believers, and (5) to expose those who harbor doubt in their hearts, and the disbelievers; they will say, "What did GOD mean by this allegory?" GOD thus sends astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. None knows the soldiers of your Lord except He. This is a reminder for the people.
[74:32] Absolutely, (I swear) by the moon.
[74:33] And the night as it passes.
[74:34] And the morning as it shines.
One of the Great Miracles
[74:35] This is one of the great miracles.
[74:36] A warning to the human race.
[74:37] For those among you who wish to advance, or regress.
[74:38] Every soul is trapped by its sins.
[74:39] Except for those on the right.
[74:40] While in Paradise, they will ask.
[74:41] About the guilty.
[74:42] "What brought you to this retribution?"
[74:43] They will say, "We did not observe the contact prayers (Salat).
[74:44] "We did not feed the poor.
[74:45] "We blundered with the blunderers.
[74:46] "We disbelieved in the Day of Judgment.
[74:47] "Until certainty came to us now." *74:30-35 This ``One of the great miracles'' provides the first physical evidence that the Quran is God's message to the world. This 19-based miracle is detailed in Appendix 1.
[74:48] The intercession of the intercessors will never help them.
[74:49] Why are they so averse to this reminder?
[74:50] Running like zebras.
[74:51] Who are fleeing from the lion!
[74:52] Does each one of them want to receive the scripture personally?
[74:53] Indeed, they do not fear the Hereafter.
[74:54] Indeed, this is a reminder.
[74:55] For those who wish to take heed.
[74:56] They cannot take heed against GOD's will. He is the source of righteousness; He is the source of forgiveness.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Is there Significance to the S&P Low of #666
---
If six is the number of secular or human perfection, then 66 is a more emphatic expression of the same fact, and 666 is the concentrated expression of it; 666 is therefore the trinity of human perfection; the perfection of imperfection; the culmination of human pride in independence of God and opposition to His Christ.
---
There are Three Men
There are three men which stand out in Scripture as the avowed enemies of God and of His people. Each is branded with this number six that we may not miss their significance:
1. GOLIATH, whose height was 6 cubits, and he had 6 pieces of armour;* his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron (1Samuel 17:4-7).
2. NEBUCHADNEZZAR, whose "image" which he set up,** was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits broad (Daniel 3:1), and which was worshipped when the music was heard from 6 specified instruments,*** and
3. ANTICHRIST, whose number is 666.
* In Ephesians 6:14-18, the Christian's armour has a seventh piece—"Prayer." See under "Seven."
** We must distinguish the "image" which he set up, from the "man" of whom he afterwards dreamt. The proportions are not the same. The height of a man is to his breadth not as 10:1. Some have therefore thought that this "image" may have been an obelisk. But as the word for "image" denotes a form or likeness, it may have been like the form of a man standing on a pedestal of which the height was included. The pedestal being probably 24 (6x4) cubits, and the image 36 (6x6).
*** The numerical value (by gematria) of the words in Daniel 3:1, which describe the setting up of this image is 4662. The very figures are significant, but still more so are the factors of this number. 4662 = 7 x 666.
In the first we have one six connected with the pride of fleshly might.
In the second we have two sixes connected with the pride of absolute dominion.
In the third we have three sixes connected with the pride of Satanic guidance.
---
Jerusalem was Trodden Down
Jerusalem was trodden down by the Roman Empire exactly 666 years from the battle of Actium, BC 31, to the Saracen conquest in AD 636.*
---
The Talents of Gold
The talents of gold brought to Solomon in a year were 666 (1 Kings 10:14). But this perfection of money-power was only "vanity and vexation of spirit" (Eccl 2:8,11; compare 1Timothy 6:10).
As to the triple number 666, we have already seen (see note in discussion on number 3) that while one figure (6) is significant, two figures (66) are still more so; and three figures (666) seem to denote the concentration or essence of the particular number.
We see further examples of this in
Jesus, 888, the dominical number;
Sodom, 999, the number of judgment;
Damascus, 444, the world number;
The beast, 666, the number of man.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you," 888;
The Lord God made, 888; etc., etc.
"The children of Adonikam" who returned from the Captivity (Ezra 2:13) numbered 666. Adonikam means the lord of the enemy. This is suggestive, even though it may be vague.
The number 666 has another remarkable property. It is further marked as the concentration and essence of 6 by being the sum of all the numbers which makes up the square of six! The square of six is 36 (62, or 6x6), and the sum of the numbers 1 to 36 = 666, i.e., 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 + 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35 + 36 = 666
---
May God help me with my ongoing research to learn and truly understand..
Amazing things
More later..
Greg
If six is the number of secular or human perfection, then 66 is a more emphatic expression of the same fact, and 666 is the concentrated expression of it; 666 is therefore the trinity of human perfection; the perfection of imperfection; the culmination of human pride in independence of God and opposition to His Christ.
---
There are Three Men
There are three men which stand out in Scripture as the avowed enemies of God and of His people. Each is branded with this number six that we may not miss their significance:
1. GOLIATH, whose height was 6 cubits, and he had 6 pieces of armour;* his spear's head weighed 600 shekels of iron (1Samuel 17:4-7).
2. NEBUCHADNEZZAR, whose "image" which he set up,** was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits broad (Daniel 3:1), and which was worshipped when the music was heard from 6 specified instruments,*** and
3. ANTICHRIST, whose number is 666.
* In Ephesians 6:14-18, the Christian's armour has a seventh piece—"Prayer." See under "Seven."
** We must distinguish the "image" which he set up, from the "man" of whom he afterwards dreamt. The proportions are not the same. The height of a man is to his breadth not as 10:1. Some have therefore thought that this "image" may have been an obelisk. But as the word for "image" denotes a form or likeness, it may have been like the form of a man standing on a pedestal of which the height was included. The pedestal being probably 24 (6x4) cubits, and the image 36 (6x6).
*** The numerical value (by gematria) of the words in Daniel 3:1, which describe the setting up of this image is 4662. The very figures are significant, but still more so are the factors of this number. 4662 = 7 x 666.
In the first we have one six connected with the pride of fleshly might.
In the second we have two sixes connected with the pride of absolute dominion.
In the third we have three sixes connected with the pride of Satanic guidance.
---
Jerusalem was Trodden Down
Jerusalem was trodden down by the Roman Empire exactly 666 years from the battle of Actium, BC 31, to the Saracen conquest in AD 636.*
---
The Talents of Gold
The talents of gold brought to Solomon in a year were 666 (1 Kings 10:14). But this perfection of money-power was only "vanity and vexation of spirit" (Eccl 2:8,11; compare 1Timothy 6:10).
As to the triple number 666, we have already seen (see note in discussion on number 3) that while one figure (6) is significant, two figures (66) are still more so; and three figures (666) seem to denote the concentration or essence of the particular number.
We see further examples of this in
Jesus, 888, the dominical number;
Sodom, 999, the number of judgment;
Damascus, 444, the world number;
The beast, 666, the number of man.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you," 888;
The Lord God made, 888; etc., etc.
"The children of Adonikam" who returned from the Captivity (Ezra 2:13) numbered 666. Adonikam means the lord of the enemy. This is suggestive, even though it may be vague.
The number 666 has another remarkable property. It is further marked as the concentration and essence of 6 by being the sum of all the numbers which makes up the square of six! The square of six is 36 (62, or 6x6), and the sum of the numbers 1 to 36 = 666, i.e., 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19 + 20 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 + 26 + 27 + 28 + 29 + 30 + 31 + 32 + 33 + 34 + 35 + 36 = 666
---
May God help me with my ongoing research to learn and truly understand..
Amazing things
More later..
Greg
Monday, August 23, 2010
U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It
---
I knew it but..
I found this to be a good read and just wanted to share as much as possible ;)
---
U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It: Laurence Kotlikoff
Greg
I knew it but..
I found this to be a good read and just wanted to share as much as possible ;)
---
U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It: Laurence Kotlikoff
Greg
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Frugally #green
---
*I* think electric companies are constantly raising our rates due to a DROP in demand. That is the OPPOSITE of what should be happening. According to the 'laws' of supply and demand prices should retreat, deflate along with demand.
So why would our utility bills continue to climb in the face of reduced demand?
I think maybe 'green' works.. Especially well in 'this' economy. More and more Americans are forced or encouraged to search for 'cuts' to boost income.
We see it as a 'game' in my household. The object is to save money by being aggressively frugal, including being as 'green' as comfortably possible.
We compost, using shredded newspaper in the mix. The compost is for our garden and plants. Hopefully we save money at the grocery store and eat healthier by growing tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, assorted peppers, onions and fresh herbs.
We use 'green' in many many other ways to save lots of money. I'm not even going to try to list them all in this post because I'm too lazy lol
But I will say that one of our favorite tricks is to figure out as many things as possible that we can reduce our usage of by half. Anything that you can suddenly use half as much of as you were before instantly provides a 50% cost reduction. Cool how that works.. It's often stupid little things like paper towels but even those add to real money over time. When/if frugality is embraced as being both fun and profitable it becomes more 'entertainment' than drudgery. We delight in forcing the hand of retailers and often getting great bargains.
I think many Americans are waking up to the fact that living a frugal/green lifestyle is beneficial in many ways, including environmentally.
'Green' is Great ;)
However , there are others in our society who have yet to figure out how to deal with the effects of the green/frugality movement.
Almost everything 'green' that you do removes money from the pockets of some corporation. From making your own soaps and cleaning products to.. oh no.. reducing your utility bills through conservation.
Utility companies preach conservation to all of us. However, I believe, that any time and every time conservation increases in popularity all the utility companies go on a rate increase binge! They're not 'small' increases either. We just had an electric company increse in May 2010 of 13.4% and now, 3 months later, the electric company wants another rate hike of as much if not more..
This isn't how supply and demand is supposed to work so I'm not exactly sure what to 'call' it. So, for now, I have settled on 'theft'.
At any rate.. the money we save through frugality and debt free living allows us to live a very comfortable life on limited income. We eat what we want, go where we want and do what we want, within reason.
We're currently looking for more ways to stick it to the utility companies. We collect enough rain water for our small garden and deck plants now. We also effectively conserve water indoors.
But I'm wanting to stick it to the electric company bad. Ideally every time they increase my bill by 20.00 I'd like to decrease it by 30.00. I have a new idea right now that I'm going to try that might save a lot of money. Look into the past.. Do some research. Find out what people did to stay cool before anyone had air conditioned homes. Apparently they made it out alive..
This is 'war'. The utility companies are bastards and *I* am Ancient Warrior.
Greg
*I* think electric companies are constantly raising our rates due to a DROP in demand. That is the OPPOSITE of what should be happening. According to the 'laws' of supply and demand prices should retreat, deflate along with demand.
So why would our utility bills continue to climb in the face of reduced demand?
I think maybe 'green' works.. Especially well in 'this' economy. More and more Americans are forced or encouraged to search for 'cuts' to boost income.
We see it as a 'game' in my household. The object is to save money by being aggressively frugal, including being as 'green' as comfortably possible.
We compost, using shredded newspaper in the mix. The compost is for our garden and plants. Hopefully we save money at the grocery store and eat healthier by growing tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, assorted peppers, onions and fresh herbs.
We use 'green' in many many other ways to save lots of money. I'm not even going to try to list them all in this post because I'm too lazy lol
But I will say that one of our favorite tricks is to figure out as many things as possible that we can reduce our usage of by half. Anything that you can suddenly use half as much of as you were before instantly provides a 50% cost reduction. Cool how that works.. It's often stupid little things like paper towels but even those add to real money over time. When/if frugality is embraced as being both fun and profitable it becomes more 'entertainment' than drudgery. We delight in forcing the hand of retailers and often getting great bargains.
I think many Americans are waking up to the fact that living a frugal/green lifestyle is beneficial in many ways, including environmentally.
'Green' is Great ;)
However , there are others in our society who have yet to figure out how to deal with the effects of the green/frugality movement.
Almost everything 'green' that you do removes money from the pockets of some corporation. From making your own soaps and cleaning products to.. oh no.. reducing your utility bills through conservation.
Utility companies preach conservation to all of us. However, I believe, that any time and every time conservation increases in popularity all the utility companies go on a rate increase binge! They're not 'small' increases either. We just had an electric company increse in May 2010 of 13.4% and now, 3 months later, the electric company wants another rate hike of as much if not more..
This isn't how supply and demand is supposed to work so I'm not exactly sure what to 'call' it. So, for now, I have settled on 'theft'.
At any rate.. the money we save through frugality and debt free living allows us to live a very comfortable life on limited income. We eat what we want, go where we want and do what we want, within reason.
We're currently looking for more ways to stick it to the utility companies. We collect enough rain water for our small garden and deck plants now. We also effectively conserve water indoors.
But I'm wanting to stick it to the electric company bad. Ideally every time they increase my bill by 20.00 I'd like to decrease it by 30.00. I have a new idea right now that I'm going to try that might save a lot of money. Look into the past.. Do some research. Find out what people did to stay cool before anyone had air conditioned homes. Apparently they made it out alive..
This is 'war'. The utility companies are bastards and *I* am Ancient Warrior.
Greg
Thursday, August 19, 2010
#WalMart & #Pizza #Hut Trickery
---
Maybe you have noticed Wal-Mart's recent advertising campaign.. Of course they always claim to be the 'low price leader'. But their most recent advertising campaign explains to consumers that Wal-Mart is cutting/lowering/reducing prices on thousands of items. 'Save money, live better' they claim..
How then does Wal-Mart explain 'this report' that finds Wal-Mart's prices have RISEN, not fallen, over the last few weeks? While Wal-Mart is loudly proclaiming, no doubt accurately, that they are 'lowering' prices on thousands of items, apparently, serendipitously, overall prices are headed higher, not lower..
One other observation to note here on the often deceptive marketing practices of retailers.
A few weeks ago Pizza Hut was advertising any large pizza, including specialty, any toppings, any crust for $10.00. A good deal.. So we got one.. We got a large bbq pizza add pepperoni, bacon, onions and mushrooms (Try it!) Price 10 bucks! That was about 3 weeks ago...
Fast forward to a day or two ago.. We were primed and ready to do it all over again lol
We were still hearing the Pizza Hut ads on TV and radio and they were still talking about large pizzas for $10.00 so we didn't think anything about it.. So not realizing the ad had actually changed we called and ordered the same pizza we paid $10.00 for about 3 weeks ago..
The price for that pizza now? $20.00!!! That's a 100% price increase in one pop!
Turns out even though the ad still sounds eerily the same as the previous ad now Pizza Hut is heavily advertising what they call their 'simplified pricing' structure.. So the NEW ad is actually something like Any large up to 3 toppings for $10.00, Specialty pizza $12.00. Additional toppings $2.00 each.
So now the SAME PIZZA we just paid $10.00 for was now calculated as $12.00 for bbq (specialty) with 4 additional toppings at $2.00 each = $20.00!
We ordered Dominoes.. We also complained to Pizza Hut about their confusing 'simplified pricing' structure and received a $20.00 credit at the store ;) Which we used tonight.. before they had a chance to LOSE it..
So watch those retailers! They are 'talking' like they are giving everything away while at the same time drastically hiking their prices!
They're trying to put a dollar into one of your pockets while sneaking $2.00 out of another one.
So, I guess the raging inflation vs deflation debate continues.. I'll be damned if *I* have the answer.. I just get more confused by all the trickery everyday..
Featured post:
Even Low-Cost Leader Wal-Mart Shows Signs of Inflation by Rocky Vega, The Daily Reckoning
Greg
Maybe you have noticed Wal-Mart's recent advertising campaign.. Of course they always claim to be the 'low price leader'. But their most recent advertising campaign explains to consumers that Wal-Mart is cutting/lowering/reducing prices on thousands of items. 'Save money, live better' they claim..
How then does Wal-Mart explain 'this report' that finds Wal-Mart's prices have RISEN, not fallen, over the last few weeks? While Wal-Mart is loudly proclaiming, no doubt accurately, that they are 'lowering' prices on thousands of items, apparently, serendipitously, overall prices are headed higher, not lower..
One other observation to note here on the often deceptive marketing practices of retailers.
A few weeks ago Pizza Hut was advertising any large pizza, including specialty, any toppings, any crust for $10.00. A good deal.. So we got one.. We got a large bbq pizza add pepperoni, bacon, onions and mushrooms (Try it!) Price 10 bucks! That was about 3 weeks ago...
Fast forward to a day or two ago.. We were primed and ready to do it all over again lol
We were still hearing the Pizza Hut ads on TV and radio and they were still talking about large pizzas for $10.00 so we didn't think anything about it.. So not realizing the ad had actually changed we called and ordered the same pizza we paid $10.00 for about 3 weeks ago..
The price for that pizza now? $20.00!!! That's a 100% price increase in one pop!
Turns out even though the ad still sounds eerily the same as the previous ad now Pizza Hut is heavily advertising what they call their 'simplified pricing' structure.. So the NEW ad is actually something like Any large up to 3 toppings for $10.00, Specialty pizza $12.00. Additional toppings $2.00 each.
So now the SAME PIZZA we just paid $10.00 for was now calculated as $12.00 for bbq (specialty) with 4 additional toppings at $2.00 each = $20.00!
We ordered Dominoes.. We also complained to Pizza Hut about their confusing 'simplified pricing' structure and received a $20.00 credit at the store ;) Which we used tonight.. before they had a chance to LOSE it..
So watch those retailers! They are 'talking' like they are giving everything away while at the same time drastically hiking their prices!
They're trying to put a dollar into one of your pockets while sneaking $2.00 out of another one.
So, I guess the raging inflation vs deflation debate continues.. I'll be damned if *I* have the answer.. I just get more confused by all the trickery everyday..
Featured post:
Even Low-Cost Leader Wal-Mart Shows Signs of Inflation by Rocky Vega, The Daily Reckoning
Greg
Is the #NFA a 'captured' regulator too?!
---
It is *my* opinion that ALL regulators are 'captured', at least to some degree, by complexities that are INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED INTO THE SYSTEM!
The example presented here is of an NFA complaint and charges pertaining to Gain Capital LLC. First the NFA has to accumulate enough reason to perform an audit.. Then they must carry out the audit.. Then, if trading irregularities/execution problems/unfair practices/abuses are found the NFA must communicate those issues to the broker(s).. Brokers merely drag out the audit for months by refusing to adequately cooperate causing further delays as the NFA and a broker banter back and forth over trading issues for months if not years.. During which time retail forex traders are subjected to continuing losses due to the unfair trading practices in question..
In my opinion this is complexity on display and how this complexity HELPS brokers cheat their customers..
I suggest it is these complexities, provided by attorneys, that stack the deck against ALL retail traders..
The focus of this post is on the NFA as a 'captured' regulator. However, these very same complexities apply to nearly ALL regulators throughout of financial system and also throughout our legal system, corporate system, and political system..
It is NOT that we do not have ENOUGH regulation.. It IS that the regulation we do have is far too restricted and complicated by legalities to ever hope to be effective in any way..
This is easy to see when we look at our financial system as a whole.. A financial system that accommodates forms of consumer abuse such as usury without ever even questioning whether or not it might be bad for society as a whole..
Here is an excerpt of the NFA's complaint and charges against Gain Capital..
COUNT I
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(c): FAILING TO UPHOLD HIGH
STANDARDS OF COMMERCIAL HONOR AND JUST AND EQUITABLE
PRINCIPLES OF TRADE BY ENGAGING IN DECEPTIVE MARGIN AND
LIQUIDATION PRACTICES.
COUNT II
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULES 2-36(bxl) AND (4), 2-36(c) AND
2-36(e): ENGAGING lN MANIPULATIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES REGARDING
PRICES RECEIVED BY CUSTOMERS ON THE METATRADER TRADING
PLATFORM; FAILING TO SUPERVISE THE TRADE INTEGRITY OF THE
METATRADER PLATFORM TO ENSURE THAT ALL CUSTOMER ORDERS
EXPERIENCED SLIPPAGE WHEN PRICES MOVED IN THEIR FAVOR JUST AS
OFTEN AS WHEN PRTCES MOVED AGAINST THEM; AND FAILING TO MAINTAIN
RECORDS FOR ALL UNFILLED ORDERS PLACED PRIOR TO MAY 2OO9 ON THE
''INSTITUTIONAL SERVER" OF THE METATRADER PLATFORM.
COUNT lll
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(e): FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY
REVIEW THE ACTIVITIES OF UNREGISTERED SOLICITORS.
COUNT IV
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-5: FAILURE TO RESPOND
PROMPTLY AND FULLY TO INQUIRIES AND REQUESTS MADE DURING NFA'S
AUDIT.
COUNT V
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(e): FAILURE TO SUPERVISE THE
FIRM'S OPERATIONS.
ANSWER
You must file a written Answer to the Complaint with NFA within thirty
days of the date of the Complaint. The Answer shall respond to each allegation in the
Complaint by admitting, denying or averring that you lack sufficient knowledge or information to admit or deny the allegation. An averment of insufficient knowledge or information may only be made after a diligent effort has been made to ascertain the relevant facts and shall be deemed to be a denial of the pertinent allegation.
You really SHOULD read this if you trade.. anything! In fact you really SHOULD read this if you do ANY business with ANY corporation! Even the 'rules' designed to PROTECT you have been so corrupted by 'INTENTIONAL COMPLEXITY' that you're RARELY going to get any relief of any type even when fair practices are being blatantly violated..
Click below to read the NFA complaint & charges as they relate to Gain Capital Group LLC
COMPLAINT
Having reviewed the investigative report submitted by the Compliance
Department of National Futures Association ('NFA"), and having found reason to
believe that NFA Requirements afe being, have been or are about to be violated and
that the matter should be adjudicated, the Business Conduct Committee ("BCC" or
"Committee") issues this Complaint against Gain Capital Group LLC ("Gain") and Glenn
H. Stevens ("Stevens").
Greg
It is *my* opinion that ALL regulators are 'captured', at least to some degree, by complexities that are INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED INTO THE SYSTEM!
The example presented here is of an NFA complaint and charges pertaining to Gain Capital LLC. First the NFA has to accumulate enough reason to perform an audit.. Then they must carry out the audit.. Then, if trading irregularities/execution problems/unfair practices/abuses are found the NFA must communicate those issues to the broker(s).. Brokers merely drag out the audit for months by refusing to adequately cooperate causing further delays as the NFA and a broker banter back and forth over trading issues for months if not years.. During which time retail forex traders are subjected to continuing losses due to the unfair trading practices in question..
In my opinion this is complexity on display and how this complexity HELPS brokers cheat their customers..
I suggest it is these complexities, provided by attorneys, that stack the deck against ALL retail traders..
The focus of this post is on the NFA as a 'captured' regulator. However, these very same complexities apply to nearly ALL regulators throughout of financial system and also throughout our legal system, corporate system, and political system..
It is NOT that we do not have ENOUGH regulation.. It IS that the regulation we do have is far too restricted and complicated by legalities to ever hope to be effective in any way..
This is easy to see when we look at our financial system as a whole.. A financial system that accommodates forms of consumer abuse such as usury without ever even questioning whether or not it might be bad for society as a whole..
Here is an excerpt of the NFA's complaint and charges against Gain Capital..
COUNT I
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(c): FAILING TO UPHOLD HIGH
STANDARDS OF COMMERCIAL HONOR AND JUST AND EQUITABLE
PRINCIPLES OF TRADE BY ENGAGING IN DECEPTIVE MARGIN AND
LIQUIDATION PRACTICES.
COUNT II
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULES 2-36(bxl) AND (4), 2-36(c) AND
2-36(e): ENGAGING lN MANIPULATIVE ACTS OR PRACTICES REGARDING
PRICES RECEIVED BY CUSTOMERS ON THE METATRADER TRADING
PLATFORM; FAILING TO SUPERVISE THE TRADE INTEGRITY OF THE
METATRADER PLATFORM TO ENSURE THAT ALL CUSTOMER ORDERS
EXPERIENCED SLIPPAGE WHEN PRICES MOVED IN THEIR FAVOR JUST AS
OFTEN AS WHEN PRTCES MOVED AGAINST THEM; AND FAILING TO MAINTAIN
RECORDS FOR ALL UNFILLED ORDERS PLACED PRIOR TO MAY 2OO9 ON THE
''INSTITUTIONAL SERVER" OF THE METATRADER PLATFORM.
COUNT lll
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(e): FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY
REVIEW THE ACTIVITIES OF UNREGISTERED SOLICITORS.
COUNT IV
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-5: FAILURE TO RESPOND
PROMPTLY AND FULLY TO INQUIRIES AND REQUESTS MADE DURING NFA'S
AUDIT.
COUNT V
VIOLATION OF NFA COMPLIANCE RULE 2-36(e): FAILURE TO SUPERVISE THE
FIRM'S OPERATIONS.
ANSWER
You must file a written Answer to the Complaint with NFA within thirty
days of the date of the Complaint. The Answer shall respond to each allegation in the
Complaint by admitting, denying or averring that you lack sufficient knowledge or information to admit or deny the allegation. An averment of insufficient knowledge or information may only be made after a diligent effort has been made to ascertain the relevant facts and shall be deemed to be a denial of the pertinent allegation.
You really SHOULD read this if you trade.. anything! In fact you really SHOULD read this if you do ANY business with ANY corporation! Even the 'rules' designed to PROTECT you have been so corrupted by 'INTENTIONAL COMPLEXITY' that you're RARELY going to get any relief of any type even when fair practices are being blatantly violated..
Click below to read the NFA complaint & charges as they relate to Gain Capital Group LLC
COMPLAINT
Having reviewed the investigative report submitted by the Compliance
Department of National Futures Association ('NFA"), and having found reason to
believe that NFA Requirements afe being, have been or are about to be violated and
that the matter should be adjudicated, the Business Conduct Committee ("BCC" or
"Committee") issues this Complaint against Gain Capital Group LLC ("Gain") and Glenn
H. Stevens ("Stevens").
Greg
Monday, August 16, 2010
#Political #Economic #Manipulation
---
Lets piece this thing together and *I* think we might see yet another clear indication of intentional political economic manipulation in an election year.. The information presented herein is from an AP story from Sunday August 15th, 2010..
---
Said article begins.. "Now that the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history has effectively been stopped, the White House is considering an early end to its moratorium on deepwater drilling." -Emphasis added
It goes on to discuss the fact that very little has actually changed as far as the safety of offshore drilling itself..
And, we are reminded, "Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has halted deepwater drilling until Nov. 30" (after the election of 2010, stick with me there is a point to this).
Here's the opposing argument (isn't there ALWAYS one of those?)
Some energy experts, engineering consultants and Gulf Coast leaders joined Big Oil to ask Salazar to change his mind. Drilling was safe before the BP spill, they said, and Gulf communities that depend on the industry were suffering unfairly. -Again, emphasis is mine..
And.. *I* think most importantly.. "Billy Nungesser, president of hard-hit Plaquemines Parish, La., said he's seen attitudes change in his community now that the deepsea disaster is easing. Even though oil has been washing ashore for months and he's fought constantly with BP and the government over their response, Nungesser thinks the ban should be lifted. Offshore drilling means jobs."
And finally this.. "According to the most recent state data, the oil and gas industry supports more than 320,000 jobs in Louisiana and generates more than $12.7 billion in household earnings."
Now.. if we look at these things logically we see that if this 'drilling ban' is lifted 'early' it would provide a nice boost to some economic numbers on it's own as we see.. By adding up to 320,000 jobs & 12.7 billion dollars to the economy. And those numbers are for the state of LA alone..
It is my own personal opinion that the drilling moratorium may have been planned political posturing from the beginning. Designed to provide an added 'boost' to what Democrats had hoped would already be an economy showing some signs of improvement on it's own.
These things aren't really that hard to figure out.. Obviously it would be a big boost for Democrats going into the 2010 election if there were a strong economic recovery underway in the Gulf Coast.. And obviously, to me, it isn't that difficult to manipulate such an event when/if YOU are in complete control over the fate of 320,000 workers and 12.7 billion dollars in wages..
Here is a link to the original AP article.. Learn to read between the lines..
Greg
Lets piece this thing together and *I* think we might see yet another clear indication of intentional political economic manipulation in an election year.. The information presented herein is from an AP story from Sunday August 15th, 2010..
---
Said article begins.. "Now that the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history has effectively been stopped, the White House is considering an early end to its moratorium on deepwater drilling." -Emphasis added
It goes on to discuss the fact that very little has actually changed as far as the safety of offshore drilling itself..
And, we are reminded, "Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has halted deepwater drilling until Nov. 30" (after the election of 2010, stick with me there is a point to this).
Here's the opposing argument (isn't there ALWAYS one of those?)
Some energy experts, engineering consultants and Gulf Coast leaders joined Big Oil to ask Salazar to change his mind. Drilling was safe before the BP spill, they said, and Gulf communities that depend on the industry were suffering unfairly. -Again, emphasis is mine..
And.. *I* think most importantly.. "Billy Nungesser, president of hard-hit Plaquemines Parish, La., said he's seen attitudes change in his community now that the deepsea disaster is easing. Even though oil has been washing ashore for months and he's fought constantly with BP and the government over their response, Nungesser thinks the ban should be lifted. Offshore drilling means jobs."
And finally this.. "According to the most recent state data, the oil and gas industry supports more than 320,000 jobs in Louisiana and generates more than $12.7 billion in household earnings."
Now.. if we look at these things logically we see that if this 'drilling ban' is lifted 'early' it would provide a nice boost to some economic numbers on it's own as we see.. By adding up to 320,000 jobs & 12.7 billion dollars to the economy. And those numbers are for the state of LA alone..
It is my own personal opinion that the drilling moratorium may have been planned political posturing from the beginning. Designed to provide an added 'boost' to what Democrats had hoped would already be an economy showing some signs of improvement on it's own.
These things aren't really that hard to figure out.. Obviously it would be a big boost for Democrats going into the 2010 election if there were a strong economic recovery underway in the Gulf Coast.. And obviously, to me, it isn't that difficult to manipulate such an event when/if YOU are in complete control over the fate of 320,000 workers and 12.7 billion dollars in wages..
Here is a link to the original AP article.. Learn to read between the lines..
Greg
Friday, August 13, 2010
More #Bailouts #TaxPayers Punished Further
---
As I have stated here many times before.. I HATE seeing millions of American families struggling in this horrendous economy that has been brought to us by out of control Washington insiders, both parties, and greedy, short term profit driven, multinational corporations..
In my opinion it is the lust for power & wealth exhibited by our government and multinational corporations that have led us where we are by intentionally ENCOURAGING bad consumer behavior and intentionally creating a huge over-expansion of credit to drive phony corporate profits.. Profits that for at least 2 decades now, if not 3, have been driven solely by consumers accumulating a mountain of debt!
And now the powers that be don't seem to want to have anything to do with the pain they themselves have created! So they bailout.. EVERYTHING.. & .. EVERYONE.. Why? Where does all that money go? For the most part straight into the pockets of the banks! It is a huge transfer of wealth from tax payers to the banks! None of this is about protecting families! It's ALL about shoveling ever MORE tax payer dollars onto the balance sheets of the banks!
Here is a link to the source of this post on HUDdotGov
---
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR TARGETED FORECLOSURE-PREVENTION PROGRAMS TO HELP HOMEOWNERS STRUGGLING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT
Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund Will Provide $2 Billion of Additional Assistance in 17 states and the District of Columbia; HUD to Launch a New $1 Billion Program to Help Unemployed Borrowers in Other Areas
WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration today announced additional support to help homeowners struggling with unemployment through two targeted foreclosure-prevention programs. Through the existing Housing Finance Agency (HFA) Innovation Fund for the Hardest Hit Housing Markets (the Hardest Hit Fund), the U.S. Department of the Treasury will make $2 billion of additional assistance available for HFA programs for homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will soon launch a complementary $1 billion Emergency Homeowners Loan Program to provide assistance – for up to 24 months – to homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure and have experienced a substantial reduction in income due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, or a medical condition.
“We remain committed to helping struggling homeowners, and this program will provide additional assistance to states hit hardest by unemployment,” said Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Herb Allison. “This is part of the Administration’s comprehensive housing policy that has helped to stabilize a fragile housing market and allows responsible homeowners the chance to reduce their monthly mortgage payments to affordable levels.”
“HUD’s new Emergency Homeowner Loan Program will build on Treasury’s Hardest Hit initiative by targeting assistance to struggling unemployed homeowners in other hard hit areas to help them avoid preventable foreclosures,” said Bill Apgar, HUD Senior Advisor for Mortgage Finance. “Together, these initiatives represent a combined $3 billion investment that will ultimately impact a broad group of struggling borrowers across the country and in doing so further contribute to the Administration’s efforts to stabilize housing markets and communities across the country.”
Hardest Hit Fund
President Obama first announced the Hardest Hit Fund in February 2010 to allow states hit hard by the economic downturn flexibility in determining how to design and implement programs to meet the local challenges homeowners in their state are facing.
Under the additional assistance announced today, states eligible to receive support have all experienced an unemployment rate at or above the national average over the past 12 months. Each state will use the funds for targeted unemployment programs that provide temporary assistance to eligible homeowners to help them pay their mortgage while they seek re-employment, additional employment or undertake job training.
States that have already benefited from previously announced assistance under the Hardest Hit Fund may use these additional resources to support the unemployment programs previously approved by Treasury or they may opt to implement a new unemployment program. States that do not currently have Hardest Hit Fund unemployment programs must submit proposals to Treasury by September 1, 2010 that, within established guidelines, meet the distinct needs of their state.
The states eligible to receive funds through this additional assistance, along with allocations based on their population sizes, are as follows:
Alabama $60,672,471
California $476,257,070
Florida $238,864,755
Georgia $126,650,987
Illinois $166,352,726
Indiana $82,762,859
Kentucky $55,588,050
Michigan $128,461,559
Mississippi $38,036,950
Nevada $34,056,581
New Jersey $112,200,638
North Carolina $120,874,221
Ohio $148,728,864
Oregon $49,294,215
Rhode Island $13,570,770
South Carolina $58,772,347
Tennessee $81,128,260
Washington, DC $7,726,678
HUD Emergency Homeowners Loan Program
This new program will complement Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund by providing assistance to homeowners in hard hit local areas that may not be included in the hardest hit target states. Those areas are still being determined.
The program will work through a variety of state and non-profit entities and will offer a declining balance, deferred payment “bridge loan” (zero percent interest, non-recourse, subordinate loan) for up to $50,000 to assist eligible borrowers with payments on their mortgage principal, interest, mortgage insurance, taxes and hazard insurance for up to 24 months.
Under the program, eligible borrowers must:
1. Be at least three months delinquent in their payments and have a reasonable likelihood of being able to resume repayment of their mortgage payments and related housing expenses within two years;
2. Have a mortgage property that is the principal residence of the borrower, and eligible borrowers may not own a second home;
3. Demonstrate a good payment record prior to the event that produced the reduction of income.
HUD will announce additional details, including the targeted communities and other program specifics when the program is officially launched in the coming weeks.
As I have stated here many times before.. I HATE seeing millions of American families struggling in this horrendous economy that has been brought to us by out of control Washington insiders, both parties, and greedy, short term profit driven, multinational corporations..
In my opinion it is the lust for power & wealth exhibited by our government and multinational corporations that have led us where we are by intentionally ENCOURAGING bad consumer behavior and intentionally creating a huge over-expansion of credit to drive phony corporate profits.. Profits that for at least 2 decades now, if not 3, have been driven solely by consumers accumulating a mountain of debt!
And now the powers that be don't seem to want to have anything to do with the pain they themselves have created! So they bailout.. EVERYTHING.. & .. EVERYONE.. Why? Where does all that money go? For the most part straight into the pockets of the banks! It is a huge transfer of wealth from tax payers to the banks! None of this is about protecting families! It's ALL about shoveling ever MORE tax payer dollars onto the balance sheets of the banks!
Here is a link to the source of this post on HUDdotGov
---
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR TARGETED FORECLOSURE-PREVENTION PROGRAMS TO HELP HOMEOWNERS STRUGGLING WITH UNEMPLOYMENT
Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund Will Provide $2 Billion of Additional Assistance in 17 states and the District of Columbia; HUD to Launch a New $1 Billion Program to Help Unemployed Borrowers in Other Areas
WASHINGTON – The Obama Administration today announced additional support to help homeowners struggling with unemployment through two targeted foreclosure-prevention programs. Through the existing Housing Finance Agency (HFA) Innovation Fund for the Hardest Hit Housing Markets (the Hardest Hit Fund), the U.S. Department of the Treasury will make $2 billion of additional assistance available for HFA programs for homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments due to unemployment. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will soon launch a complementary $1 billion Emergency Homeowners Loan Program to provide assistance – for up to 24 months – to homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure and have experienced a substantial reduction in income due to involuntary unemployment, underemployment, or a medical condition.
“We remain committed to helping struggling homeowners, and this program will provide additional assistance to states hit hardest by unemployment,” said Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Herb Allison. “This is part of the Administration’s comprehensive housing policy that has helped to stabilize a fragile housing market and allows responsible homeowners the chance to reduce their monthly mortgage payments to affordable levels.”
“HUD’s new Emergency Homeowner Loan Program will build on Treasury’s Hardest Hit initiative by targeting assistance to struggling unemployed homeowners in other hard hit areas to help them avoid preventable foreclosures,” said Bill Apgar, HUD Senior Advisor for Mortgage Finance. “Together, these initiatives represent a combined $3 billion investment that will ultimately impact a broad group of struggling borrowers across the country and in doing so further contribute to the Administration’s efforts to stabilize housing markets and communities across the country.”
Hardest Hit Fund
President Obama first announced the Hardest Hit Fund in February 2010 to allow states hit hard by the economic downturn flexibility in determining how to design and implement programs to meet the local challenges homeowners in their state are facing.
Under the additional assistance announced today, states eligible to receive support have all experienced an unemployment rate at or above the national average over the past 12 months. Each state will use the funds for targeted unemployment programs that provide temporary assistance to eligible homeowners to help them pay their mortgage while they seek re-employment, additional employment or undertake job training.
States that have already benefited from previously announced assistance under the Hardest Hit Fund may use these additional resources to support the unemployment programs previously approved by Treasury or they may opt to implement a new unemployment program. States that do not currently have Hardest Hit Fund unemployment programs must submit proposals to Treasury by September 1, 2010 that, within established guidelines, meet the distinct needs of their state.
The states eligible to receive funds through this additional assistance, along with allocations based on their population sizes, are as follows:
Alabama $60,672,471
California $476,257,070
Florida $238,864,755
Georgia $126,650,987
Illinois $166,352,726
Indiana $82,762,859
Kentucky $55,588,050
Michigan $128,461,559
Mississippi $38,036,950
Nevada $34,056,581
New Jersey $112,200,638
North Carolina $120,874,221
Ohio $148,728,864
Oregon $49,294,215
Rhode Island $13,570,770
South Carolina $58,772,347
Tennessee $81,128,260
Washington, DC $7,726,678
HUD Emergency Homeowners Loan Program
This new program will complement Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund by providing assistance to homeowners in hard hit local areas that may not be included in the hardest hit target states. Those areas are still being determined.
The program will work through a variety of state and non-profit entities and will offer a declining balance, deferred payment “bridge loan” (zero percent interest, non-recourse, subordinate loan) for up to $50,000 to assist eligible borrowers with payments on their mortgage principal, interest, mortgage insurance, taxes and hazard insurance for up to 24 months.
Under the program, eligible borrowers must:
1. Be at least three months delinquent in their payments and have a reasonable likelihood of being able to resume repayment of their mortgage payments and related housing expenses within two years;
2. Have a mortgage property that is the principal residence of the borrower, and eligible borrowers may not own a second home;
3. Demonstrate a good payment record prior to the event that produced the reduction of income.
HUD will announce additional details, including the targeted communities and other program specifics when the program is officially launched in the coming weeks.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac questions
---
Here a very interesting article pertaining to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
If you would prefer here is the original post on the New York Times website
---
WHILE Congress toiled on the financial overhaul last spring, precious little was said about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance companies that collapsed spectacularly two years ago.
Indeed, these wards of the state got just two mentions in the 1,500-page law known as Dodd-Frank: first, when it ordered the Treasury to produce a study on ending the taxpayer-owned status of the companies and, second, in a “sense of the Congress” passage stating that efforts to improve the nation’s mortgage credit system “would be incomplete without enactment of meaningful structural reforms” of Fannie and Freddie.
No kidding.
With midterm elections near, though, there will be talk aplenty about dealing with the companies precisely because Dodd-Frank didn’t address them. Unfortunately, if past is prologue, this talk is likely to be more political than practical.
Fannie and Freddie amplified the housing boom by buying mortgages from lenders, allowing them to originate even more loans. They grew into behemoths because they lobbied aggressively and played the Washington political game to a T. But after both companies bought boatloads of risky mortgages, they required a federal rescue.
The Treasury’s study on Fannie, Freddie and housing finance must be delivered to Congress by the end of January 2011. In a speech last week, Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, told a New York audience that resolving the companies isn’t “rocket science.”
But attaining genuine remedies for our housing finance system could actually be harder than rocket science. That’s because it would require an honest dialogue about the role the federal government should play in housing. It also requires a candid conversation about whether promoting homeownership through tax policy and other federal efforts remains a good idea, given the economic disaster we’ve just lived through.
Alas, honest dialogues on third-rail topics like housing have proved to be a bridge too far for many in Washington. So, what we may hear instead about Fannie and Freddie before the elections is a lot of sound and fury signifying a stealthy return to the status quo.
This would be unfortunate, not only because the financial crisis presents a rare opportunity to reassess the supposed benefits of homeownership but also because there was a lot not to like about the way these companies operated and the ways their friends in Congress enabled that behavior.
Outwardly, Fannie and Freddie wrapped themselves in the American flag and the dream of homeownership. But internally, they were relentless in their pursuit of profits from partners in the mortgage boom. One of their biggest and most steadfast collaborators was Countrywide, the subprime lending machine run by Angelo R. Mozilo.
Countrywide was the biggest supplier of loans to Fannie during the mania; in 2004, it sold 26 percent of the loans Fannie bought. Three years later, it was selling 28 percent. What Countrywide got out of the relationship was clear — a buyer for its dubious loans. Now the taxpayer is on the hook for those losses.
But what was in it for Fannie?
An internal Fannie document from 2004 obtained by The New York Times sheds light on this question. A “Customer Engagement Plan” for Countrywide, it shows how assiduously Fannie pursued Mr. Mozilo and 14 of his lieutenants to make sure the company continued to shovel loans its way.
Nine bullet points fall under the heading “Fannie Mae’s Top Strategic Business Objectives With Lender.” The first: “Deepen relationship at all levels throughout CHL and Fannie Mae to foster alignment and collaboration between our companies at every opportunity.” (CHL refers to Countrywide Home Loans.) No. 2: “Create barriers to exit partnership.” Next: “Disciplined Risk/Servicing Management” and “Achieve Fannie Mae Profitability Goals.”
(Later in 2004, by the way, the Securities and Exchange Commission found that Fannie had used improper accounting and ordered it to restate its earnings for the previous four years. Some $6.3 billion in profit was wiped out.)
The engagement plan also recommends ways that Fannie executives should mingle with Countrywide’s top management, because “fostering more direct senior level engagements with key influencers throughout their organization will be beneficial in ensuring strategic alignment and building organizational loyalty.”
RECOMMENDATIONS included conferring with Mr. Mozilo at Habitat for Humanity golf tournaments and Mortgage Bankers Association conventions. Franklin D. Raines, then Fannie’s C.E.O., and Daniel H. Mudd, then its chief operating officer, were advised to see Mr. Mozilo twice a year. “We will be successful when Angelo influences the industry or his organization on our behalf,” the document says. Mr. Raines didn’t respond to e-mails requesting comment last Friday; he left Fannie in December 2004.
The memo advised pursuing other Countrywide executives: “Deep Rapport” should be the goal with David E. Sambol, the lender’s president, but because he did not “heavily attend outside events” Fannie executives should “look for opportunities for meetings” at Countrywide headquarters.
“We will be successful if we can foster ongoing communication channels that allow us to understand and leverage Sambol’s priorities and demonstrate our commitment to making him successful,” the memo stated. Mr. Sambol and Mr. Mozilo could not be reached for comment.
For his part, Mr. Mudd, now the chief executive of the Fortress Investment Group, said Fannie’s courting of Countrywide was not unusual. “We tried to build a program that was based on having multiple strong relationships with our main customers,” he said. “You want to be sure that the first call is not the last call, that a customer is not doing business with you anymore.”
But Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican and ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, says he has concerns about such mating dances.
“Lost in the debate over how best to legislate the aftermath of the financial crisis has been the necessity to conduct an inward examination of the too-cozy relationship between government enterprises and private industry,” Mr. Issa said. “The true nature of this strategic partnership between Countrywide and Fannie-Freddie should be exposed so we can measure the extent to which it fostered the conditions leading to the financial meltdown.”
Understanding how these companies operated is crucial if we want to avoid repeating the mistakes of our recent past. So, when you hear about Fannie and Freddie reform this fall, remember that we still don’t know the half of it.
A version of this article appeared in print on August 8, 2010, on page BU1 of the New York edition.
Here a very interesting article pertaining to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
If you would prefer here is the original post on the New York Times website
---
WHILE Congress toiled on the financial overhaul last spring, precious little was said about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance companies that collapsed spectacularly two years ago.
Indeed, these wards of the state got just two mentions in the 1,500-page law known as Dodd-Frank: first, when it ordered the Treasury to produce a study on ending the taxpayer-owned status of the companies and, second, in a “sense of the Congress” passage stating that efforts to improve the nation’s mortgage credit system “would be incomplete without enactment of meaningful structural reforms” of Fannie and Freddie.
No kidding.
With midterm elections near, though, there will be talk aplenty about dealing with the companies precisely because Dodd-Frank didn’t address them. Unfortunately, if past is prologue, this talk is likely to be more political than practical.
Fannie and Freddie amplified the housing boom by buying mortgages from lenders, allowing them to originate even more loans. They grew into behemoths because they lobbied aggressively and played the Washington political game to a T. But after both companies bought boatloads of risky mortgages, they required a federal rescue.
The Treasury’s study on Fannie, Freddie and housing finance must be delivered to Congress by the end of January 2011. In a speech last week, Timothy F. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, told a New York audience that resolving the companies isn’t “rocket science.”
But attaining genuine remedies for our housing finance system could actually be harder than rocket science. That’s because it would require an honest dialogue about the role the federal government should play in housing. It also requires a candid conversation about whether promoting homeownership through tax policy and other federal efforts remains a good idea, given the economic disaster we’ve just lived through.
Alas, honest dialogues on third-rail topics like housing have proved to be a bridge too far for many in Washington. So, what we may hear instead about Fannie and Freddie before the elections is a lot of sound and fury signifying a stealthy return to the status quo.
This would be unfortunate, not only because the financial crisis presents a rare opportunity to reassess the supposed benefits of homeownership but also because there was a lot not to like about the way these companies operated and the ways their friends in Congress enabled that behavior.
Outwardly, Fannie and Freddie wrapped themselves in the American flag and the dream of homeownership. But internally, they were relentless in their pursuit of profits from partners in the mortgage boom. One of their biggest and most steadfast collaborators was Countrywide, the subprime lending machine run by Angelo R. Mozilo.
Countrywide was the biggest supplier of loans to Fannie during the mania; in 2004, it sold 26 percent of the loans Fannie bought. Three years later, it was selling 28 percent. What Countrywide got out of the relationship was clear — a buyer for its dubious loans. Now the taxpayer is on the hook for those losses.
But what was in it for Fannie?
An internal Fannie document from 2004 obtained by The New York Times sheds light on this question. A “Customer Engagement Plan” for Countrywide, it shows how assiduously Fannie pursued Mr. Mozilo and 14 of his lieutenants to make sure the company continued to shovel loans its way.
Nine bullet points fall under the heading “Fannie Mae’s Top Strategic Business Objectives With Lender.” The first: “Deepen relationship at all levels throughout CHL and Fannie Mae to foster alignment and collaboration between our companies at every opportunity.” (CHL refers to Countrywide Home Loans.) No. 2: “Create barriers to exit partnership.” Next: “Disciplined Risk/Servicing Management” and “Achieve Fannie Mae Profitability Goals.”
(Later in 2004, by the way, the Securities and Exchange Commission found that Fannie had used improper accounting and ordered it to restate its earnings for the previous four years. Some $6.3 billion in profit was wiped out.)
The engagement plan also recommends ways that Fannie executives should mingle with Countrywide’s top management, because “fostering more direct senior level engagements with key influencers throughout their organization will be beneficial in ensuring strategic alignment and building organizational loyalty.”
RECOMMENDATIONS included conferring with Mr. Mozilo at Habitat for Humanity golf tournaments and Mortgage Bankers Association conventions. Franklin D. Raines, then Fannie’s C.E.O., and Daniel H. Mudd, then its chief operating officer, were advised to see Mr. Mozilo twice a year. “We will be successful when Angelo influences the industry or his organization on our behalf,” the document says. Mr. Raines didn’t respond to e-mails requesting comment last Friday; he left Fannie in December 2004.
The memo advised pursuing other Countrywide executives: “Deep Rapport” should be the goal with David E. Sambol, the lender’s president, but because he did not “heavily attend outside events” Fannie executives should “look for opportunities for meetings” at Countrywide headquarters.
“We will be successful if we can foster ongoing communication channels that allow us to understand and leverage Sambol’s priorities and demonstrate our commitment to making him successful,” the memo stated. Mr. Sambol and Mr. Mozilo could not be reached for comment.
For his part, Mr. Mudd, now the chief executive of the Fortress Investment Group, said Fannie’s courting of Countrywide was not unusual. “We tried to build a program that was based on having multiple strong relationships with our main customers,” he said. “You want to be sure that the first call is not the last call, that a customer is not doing business with you anymore.”
But Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican and ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, says he has concerns about such mating dances.
“Lost in the debate over how best to legislate the aftermath of the financial crisis has been the necessity to conduct an inward examination of the too-cozy relationship between government enterprises and private industry,” Mr. Issa said. “The true nature of this strategic partnership between Countrywide and Fannie-Freddie should be exposed so we can measure the extent to which it fostered the conditions leading to the financial meltdown.”
Understanding how these companies operated is crucial if we want to avoid repeating the mistakes of our recent past. So, when you hear about Fannie and Freddie reform this fall, remember that we still don’t know the half of it.
A version of this article appeared in print on August 8, 2010, on page BU1 of the New York edition.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
#Biblical Climatic Havoc Across the #Planet
---
This paragraph was taken from
Huge ice island could pose threat to oil, shipping
KARL RITTER, Associated Press Writer
It's been a summer of near biblical climatic havoc across the planet, with wildfires, heat and smog in Russia and killer floods in Asia. But the moment the Petermann glacier cracked last week — creating the biggest Arctic ice island in half a century — may symbolize a warming world like no other.
---
There IS a reason all this is happening! Ask #God
The reason can be found here
Greg
This paragraph was taken from
Huge ice island could pose threat to oil, shipping
KARL RITTER, Associated Press Writer
It's been a summer of near biblical climatic havoc across the planet, with wildfires, heat and smog in Russia and killer floods in Asia. But the moment the Petermann glacier cracked last week — creating the biggest Arctic ice island in half a century — may symbolize a warming world like no other.
---
There IS a reason all this is happening! Ask #God
The reason can be found here
Greg
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Desperate Economic Action Ahead?
---
This my friends, in my opinion, is the truth.. I have been saying these things for many months already as you will find if you read deeper into my blog..
Here is the original post on American Thinker if you prefer ;)
---
By Monty Pelerin
The economic condition of the country continues to decline toward its rendezvous with an as yet unknowable catastrophe. Speculation regarding this outcome is natural because self-interest, if not self-preservation, is at stake.
Here is but one possibility. It is not a prediction, but a look at a series of not improbable events that could develop. Any similar government desperation would change our economic world overnight.
It is mid-year 2012. The country has officially been in recession since the end of 2010. Many believe that it never recovered from what began in 2008. The word "depression" is now almost commonplace.
Trust in Congress has fallen to single digits. Similarly, government reports and statistics are increasingly mocked by the public. The media is likened to Pravda because only government-speak is allowed. Distrust, despair, and fear are everywhere.
2012 Economic Scenario:
* Official unemployment numbers approach 14%. Unofficial estimates of unemployment range from 30%-35%. There are no signs of a turnaround in employment.
* The Dow-Jones average has hovered around 4,500 for the past month.
* Official GDP has been declining for four consecutive quarters. Independent analysts estimate the true numbers have been declining for two years.
* Tax collections continue to drop while federal spending accelerates. The deficit is expected to exceed $3 trillion. Federal debt now exceeds $16 trillion.
* The rate of foreclosures has doubled from the previous high in 2011. Personal and corporate bankruptcies have reached levels thought impossible.
* Major companies have left or announced intentions of leaving the U.S. to avoid the confiscatory taxes and regulations. College students, unable to find jobs, are emigrating to more favorable economies.
* California, Illinois, and several other states are in bankruptcy court. Almost a thousand municipalities have filed as well. Many states and municipalities are using IOUs for payments.
* Welfare and unemployment checks are two months behind on average. Social Security checks and Medicare reimbursements are delayed. Some private pension funds have reduced their payments by 10%-25%.
* Hospitals and doctors refuse to see Medicare patients until federal reimbursements, already eight months behind schedule, are paid.
* Public unions across the country are on strike. Large areas are without teachers, police, firemen, or hospital staff.
* Food stamps are rejected at grocery stores because of slow reimbursement and government default risk.
* Martial law has been imposed in several cities to counter rioting and looting.
* Isolated runs on banks have occurred. Mattress-stuffing is considered less risky than zero-interest returns from banks.
* The dollar is rejected by local merchants around the world. Oil is priced in a weighted basket of currencies of which only 20% represents dollars.
* Foreign disinvestment in Treasuries has been accelerating as a result of trade wars, concerns of default and the desperate need for funding at home.
* Gold is selling at $2,800 per ounce.
Despite QE on a scale not even Paul Krugman would have recommended, the economy continues to deteriorate. Treasury and toxic asset purchases have swelled the Fed's balance sheet from $800 billion in 2008 to $6 trillion.
Despite incredible money-creation, the deflationary spiral continues. Banks continue to add more excess reserves. Creditworthy borrowers refuse to borrow. People and businesses everywhere have hunkered down, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Many withdraw funds from the banking system in fear of its collapse.
The Emergency Measure
It is against this backdrop that the President of the United States appears with a major economic announcement. Treasury Secretary Chris Dodd and Fed Chairman Barney Frank, both in their best solemnity, accompany him.
President Joe Biden (in office for six months after former President Obama resigned "to spend more time with his family") issues a short, terse message:
The Federal Government, as a result of our national economic emergency, will be recalling all U.S. dollars effective immediately. All will be replaced with new currency known as the JohnLawDollar. Each old dollar will be exchanged for three JohnLawDollars. Amounts in checking accounts and savings accounts will automatically convert by tomorrow at 10 AM. Currency in circulation must be taken to a bank and converted within the next 48 hours. Dollars in foreign countries will have 72 hours to convert. All old dollars will be unredeemable and no longer legal tender after the deadlines. All contractual obligations will be honored in JohnLawDollars.
This action is necessary in order to revive our economy from a downturn nearly as severe as the Great Depression. Your new dollars are triple what your old dollars were. With your larger amount of money, we encourage you to go out and buy stuff, lots of it. Your cooperation will revive the economy.
The Reality
The announcement represents a(n undeclared) U.S. default on 67% of its contractual obligations. That includes Treasuries, Social Security, Medicare, and welfare payments. All debt has been reduced by two-thirds in value. The debt problem (public and private) is what is killing the economy. With one short proclamation, the debt problem has been reduced dramatically.
Tripling the money supply will eventually triple prices and wages. Home prices will soar while mortgage obligations remain fixed and payable out of incomes that will be three times what they are now. The government will have cut its obligations dramatically and now be able to pay its bills.
The government's gain will come at the expense of Social Security, Medicare, and welfare recipients. Borrowers gain only what lenders lose. Other private contracts produce winners only at the expense of losers. There is no net value added. Every gain is someone's loss. Only the amounts "stolen" from foreign investors might be claimed to help the U.S. The rest is nothing more than a redistribution of wealth.
Likelihood of This Scenario
Many believe that the government would never do such a thing. The reality is that this has been their proposed solution for the past couple of years. It is exactly the policy they have tried to implement. There are only two differences between the current policy and the hypothetical one:
* Effectiveness
* Timing
Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has clearly been trying to inflate the economy. He and other supposed experts regard inflation as the way out. Only Mr Bernanke's ineffectiveness explains why we don't have inflation. The hypothetical measure is nothing more than the preferred strategy compressed in time. The effects, other than timing, would be identical. Lew Rockwell's thief analogy is appropriate. What is the difference between a thief who breaks into your house every night and steals a little versus the one who backs up a moving truck and takes everything? Eventually you end up with an empty house. Only the timing differs.
As economic and political matters become more desperate, so will what the government considers acceptable. If a debt default cannot be engineered via continuous inflation, it will occur via a direct repudiation of obligations or a quasi-surreptitious one like the hypothetical presented. Viewed from this perspective, I don't think such a move or something approximating it is out of the question.
The political class's survival is at stake. Eventually, anything that extends their rule will be tried. It is not concern for you or the economy that is driving policy, but the preservation of power of an increasingly wounded power elite. Their survival is now driving policy. Unfortunately, what benefits them is generally harmful for the economy.
It is improbable that Bernanke's strategy will gain enough traction fast enough. Two years have gone by, and inflation is decreasing, rather than increasing. Mr. Bernanke has thrown more than anyone dreamed at the problem with no results. Thus, a home-run pass somewhat like the one discussed becomes more likely. It will be a surprise when it comes.
Nothing discussed here or tried by the administration will solve the economic problems of the country. What I have suggested is what I could happen. It is not to be confused with good economic policy. Both the hypothetical measure and the more conventional inflationary strategy will lead to hyperinflation.
Inflation is not an economic event. Short of an inept Central Bank, inflation is always a political event. It is never a solution to an economic problem. It is employed out of desperation. When economic and political problems are intractable, the political class is apt to do anything to retain power.
Protect yourself, your family, and your wealth in that order. Do not expect any help from Washington. The political class is not your friend, especially when its survival is at stake. Women, children, and other citizens will have lifeboats only if there are any left after the rats have escaped the sinking ship.
Monty Pelerin is a recovering economist who blogs at www.economicnoise.com.
This my friends, in my opinion, is the truth.. I have been saying these things for many months already as you will find if you read deeper into my blog..
Here is the original post on American Thinker if you prefer ;)
---
By Monty Pelerin
The economic condition of the country continues to decline toward its rendezvous with an as yet unknowable catastrophe. Speculation regarding this outcome is natural because self-interest, if not self-preservation, is at stake.
Here is but one possibility. It is not a prediction, but a look at a series of not improbable events that could develop. Any similar government desperation would change our economic world overnight.
It is mid-year 2012. The country has officially been in recession since the end of 2010. Many believe that it never recovered from what began in 2008. The word "depression" is now almost commonplace.
Trust in Congress has fallen to single digits. Similarly, government reports and statistics are increasingly mocked by the public. The media is likened to Pravda because only government-speak is allowed. Distrust, despair, and fear are everywhere.
2012 Economic Scenario:
* Official unemployment numbers approach 14%. Unofficial estimates of unemployment range from 30%-35%. There are no signs of a turnaround in employment.
* The Dow-Jones average has hovered around 4,500 for the past month.
* Official GDP has been declining for four consecutive quarters. Independent analysts estimate the true numbers have been declining for two years.
* Tax collections continue to drop while federal spending accelerates. The deficit is expected to exceed $3 trillion. Federal debt now exceeds $16 trillion.
* The rate of foreclosures has doubled from the previous high in 2011. Personal and corporate bankruptcies have reached levels thought impossible.
* Major companies have left or announced intentions of leaving the U.S. to avoid the confiscatory taxes and regulations. College students, unable to find jobs, are emigrating to more favorable economies.
* California, Illinois, and several other states are in bankruptcy court. Almost a thousand municipalities have filed as well. Many states and municipalities are using IOUs for payments.
* Welfare and unemployment checks are two months behind on average. Social Security checks and Medicare reimbursements are delayed. Some private pension funds have reduced their payments by 10%-25%.
* Hospitals and doctors refuse to see Medicare patients until federal reimbursements, already eight months behind schedule, are paid.
* Public unions across the country are on strike. Large areas are without teachers, police, firemen, or hospital staff.
* Food stamps are rejected at grocery stores because of slow reimbursement and government default risk.
* Martial law has been imposed in several cities to counter rioting and looting.
* Isolated runs on banks have occurred. Mattress-stuffing is considered less risky than zero-interest returns from banks.
* The dollar is rejected by local merchants around the world. Oil is priced in a weighted basket of currencies of which only 20% represents dollars.
* Foreign disinvestment in Treasuries has been accelerating as a result of trade wars, concerns of default and the desperate need for funding at home.
* Gold is selling at $2,800 per ounce.
Despite QE on a scale not even Paul Krugman would have recommended, the economy continues to deteriorate. Treasury and toxic asset purchases have swelled the Fed's balance sheet from $800 billion in 2008 to $6 trillion.
Despite incredible money-creation, the deflationary spiral continues. Banks continue to add more excess reserves. Creditworthy borrowers refuse to borrow. People and businesses everywhere have hunkered down, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Many withdraw funds from the banking system in fear of its collapse.
The Emergency Measure
It is against this backdrop that the President of the United States appears with a major economic announcement. Treasury Secretary Chris Dodd and Fed Chairman Barney Frank, both in their best solemnity, accompany him.
President Joe Biden (in office for six months after former President Obama resigned "to spend more time with his family") issues a short, terse message:
The Federal Government, as a result of our national economic emergency, will be recalling all U.S. dollars effective immediately. All will be replaced with new currency known as the JohnLawDollar. Each old dollar will be exchanged for three JohnLawDollars. Amounts in checking accounts and savings accounts will automatically convert by tomorrow at 10 AM. Currency in circulation must be taken to a bank and converted within the next 48 hours. Dollars in foreign countries will have 72 hours to convert. All old dollars will be unredeemable and no longer legal tender after the deadlines. All contractual obligations will be honored in JohnLawDollars.
This action is necessary in order to revive our economy from a downturn nearly as severe as the Great Depression. Your new dollars are triple what your old dollars were. With your larger amount of money, we encourage you to go out and buy stuff, lots of it. Your cooperation will revive the economy.
The Reality
The announcement represents a(n undeclared) U.S. default on 67% of its contractual obligations. That includes Treasuries, Social Security, Medicare, and welfare payments. All debt has been reduced by two-thirds in value. The debt problem (public and private) is what is killing the economy. With one short proclamation, the debt problem has been reduced dramatically.
Tripling the money supply will eventually triple prices and wages. Home prices will soar while mortgage obligations remain fixed and payable out of incomes that will be three times what they are now. The government will have cut its obligations dramatically and now be able to pay its bills.
The government's gain will come at the expense of Social Security, Medicare, and welfare recipients. Borrowers gain only what lenders lose. Other private contracts produce winners only at the expense of losers. There is no net value added. Every gain is someone's loss. Only the amounts "stolen" from foreign investors might be claimed to help the U.S. The rest is nothing more than a redistribution of wealth.
Likelihood of This Scenario
Many believe that the government would never do such a thing. The reality is that this has been their proposed solution for the past couple of years. It is exactly the policy they have tried to implement. There are only two differences between the current policy and the hypothetical one:
* Effectiveness
* Timing
Fed Chair Ben Bernanke has clearly been trying to inflate the economy. He and other supposed experts regard inflation as the way out. Only Mr Bernanke's ineffectiveness explains why we don't have inflation. The hypothetical measure is nothing more than the preferred strategy compressed in time. The effects, other than timing, would be identical. Lew Rockwell's thief analogy is appropriate. What is the difference between a thief who breaks into your house every night and steals a little versus the one who backs up a moving truck and takes everything? Eventually you end up with an empty house. Only the timing differs.
As economic and political matters become more desperate, so will what the government considers acceptable. If a debt default cannot be engineered via continuous inflation, it will occur via a direct repudiation of obligations or a quasi-surreptitious one like the hypothetical presented. Viewed from this perspective, I don't think such a move or something approximating it is out of the question.
The political class's survival is at stake. Eventually, anything that extends their rule will be tried. It is not concern for you or the economy that is driving policy, but the preservation of power of an increasingly wounded power elite. Their survival is now driving policy. Unfortunately, what benefits them is generally harmful for the economy.
It is improbable that Bernanke's strategy will gain enough traction fast enough. Two years have gone by, and inflation is decreasing, rather than increasing. Mr. Bernanke has thrown more than anyone dreamed at the problem with no results. Thus, a home-run pass somewhat like the one discussed becomes more likely. It will be a surprise when it comes.
Nothing discussed here or tried by the administration will solve the economic problems of the country. What I have suggested is what I could happen. It is not to be confused with good economic policy. Both the hypothetical measure and the more conventional inflationary strategy will lead to hyperinflation.
Inflation is not an economic event. Short of an inept Central Bank, inflation is always a political event. It is never a solution to an economic problem. It is employed out of desperation. When economic and political problems are intractable, the political class is apt to do anything to retain power.
Protect yourself, your family, and your wealth in that order. Do not expect any help from Washington. The political class is not your friend, especially when its survival is at stake. Women, children, and other citizens will have lifeboats only if there are any left after the rats have escaped the sinking ship.
Monty Pelerin is a recovering economist who blogs at www.economicnoise.com.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
What Causes A Currency Crisis?
---
Since the early 1990s, there have been many cases of currency investors who have been caught off guard, which lead to runs on currencies and capital flight. What makes currency investors and international financiers respond and act like this? Do they evaluate the minutia of an economy, or do they go by gut instinct? In this article, we'll look at currency instability and uncover what really causes it.
Read the entire article on www.investopedia.com
Greg
Since the early 1990s, there have been many cases of currency investors who have been caught off guard, which lead to runs on currencies and capital flight. What makes currency investors and international financiers respond and act like this? Do they evaluate the minutia of an economy, or do they go by gut instinct? In this article, we'll look at currency instability and uncover what really causes it.
Read the entire article on www.investopedia.com
Greg
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Monster Magnet - Spacelord lyrics
---
Well, I know this is weird and everything.. But for some time now I have been curious about the possibility of aliens hiding among us disguised as rock bands.. I mean who would know? Marilyn Manson, Tool, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourn..
---
---
Check out these lyrics.. they're weird. Like a drunk alien boasting?
---
(D. Wyndorf)
I been stuffed in your pocket for the last hundred days
When I don't get my bath I take it out on the slaves
So grease up your baby for a ball on the hill
Polish them rockets now and swallow those pills
And say...spacelord mother mother
There's a car in the field now in a collar of flame
With two doors to choose, but only one bears your name
You been drinkin' my blood, well I been lickin' your wounds
Well, I shave of the pish now and scope your tomb
You'll say...spacelord mother mother
I left my throne a million miles away
I drink from your tit, I've seen the booze everyday
Now give me the strength to split the world in two, yeah
I ate all the rest and now I gotta eat you
Well I say......
Built in my nightmares and using my name
You strove of my cortex when ya know I'm insane
I squeezed out and harmed a child and I drowned it in love
Then conquered some more to a position above
And say...spacelord mother mother
I left my throne a million miles away
I drink from your tit, I've seen the booze everyday
Now give me the strength to split the world in two, yeah
I ate all the rest and now I gotta eat you
Well I say...spacelord mother mother
I lost my soul when I fell to Earth
My planets call me to the void of my birth
The time has come for me to kill this game
Now open wide and say my name...
spacelord mother mother
Here's the video if you like..
Greg
Well, I know this is weird and everything.. But for some time now I have been curious about the possibility of aliens hiding among us disguised as rock bands.. I mean who would know? Marilyn Manson, Tool, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourn..
---
---
Check out these lyrics.. they're weird. Like a drunk alien boasting?
---
(D. Wyndorf)
I been stuffed in your pocket for the last hundred days
When I don't get my bath I take it out on the slaves
So grease up your baby for a ball on the hill
Polish them rockets now and swallow those pills
And say...spacelord mother mother
There's a car in the field now in a collar of flame
With two doors to choose, but only one bears your name
You been drinkin' my blood, well I been lickin' your wounds
Well, I shave of the pish now and scope your tomb
You'll say...spacelord mother mother
I left my throne a million miles away
I drink from your tit, I've seen the booze everyday
Now give me the strength to split the world in two, yeah
I ate all the rest and now I gotta eat you
Well I say......
Built in my nightmares and using my name
You strove of my cortex when ya know I'm insane
I squeezed out and harmed a child and I drowned it in love
Then conquered some more to a position above
And say...spacelord mother mother
I left my throne a million miles away
I drink from your tit, I've seen the booze everyday
Now give me the strength to split the world in two, yeah
I ate all the rest and now I gotta eat you
Well I say...spacelord mother mother
I lost my soul when I fell to Earth
My planets call me to the void of my birth
The time has come for me to kill this game
Now open wide and say my name...
spacelord mother mother
Here's the video if you like..
Greg
Friday, August 6, 2010
Is Strategic Default Right for You?
---
It seems the banks have gotten themselves into a real mess this time.. Consumer trust has been utterly destroyed by the misdeeds of our financial institutions but they want to cry moral values to us when it comes to paying debt..
Maybe we should cry moral values to them when it comes to throwing our kids and grand kids out on the street to fend for themselves due to foreclosure?
Here's the basic argument..
Ethical issues
Some ethicists have questioned the morality of strategic default, arguing that one has a duty to make payments on debt if one is able.[4] Others argue that there is no such moral duty, a loan being a contract between consenting adults, and noting that financial investors routinely default on non-recourse loans that have negative equity.[3] Some argue further that there is a moral duty to strategically default,[4] and that one should make such decisions based on one's financial interest "unclouded by unnecessary guilt or shame", as lenders who do not modify mortgages do the same, "seek[ing] to maximize profits or minimize losses irrespective of concerns of morality or social responsibility,"[5] or more bluntly stating that "The economy is fundamentally amoral."[6] Further, obligations to honor a contract are balanced by obligations to oneself and one's family, the latter speaking in favor of strategic default, some arguing "You need to put yourself and your family's finances first,"[6] while one also has obligations to a community, which may be damaged by default.[4]
Me? I say F the banks.. They are the ones who got so incredibly GREEDY that they would have loaned money to your dog for a new home had you asked..
And, in response to this disaster, our own government has continued bailout after bailout after bailout.. Do you realize that the majority of this bailout money that is given to consumers is merely used to make payments on bank loans and credit cards!
Of course that is the entire GOAL.. of government and the Federal Reserve.. Get money into people's hands any way you can do it so those same people can hand over that same money to the BANKS!
Americans who have been cheated and lied to have NO moral obligations what-so-ever to the very same people who cheated and lied to them..
Everyone's responsibility is to their family, not banks and payday loan companies..
Please check out this definition of Strategic Default and give some serious thought to whether or not it might help your current financial situation..
Greg
It seems the banks have gotten themselves into a real mess this time.. Consumer trust has been utterly destroyed by the misdeeds of our financial institutions but they want to cry moral values to us when it comes to paying debt..
Maybe we should cry moral values to them when it comes to throwing our kids and grand kids out on the street to fend for themselves due to foreclosure?
Here's the basic argument..
Ethical issues
Some ethicists have questioned the morality of strategic default, arguing that one has a duty to make payments on debt if one is able.[4] Others argue that there is no such moral duty, a loan being a contract between consenting adults, and noting that financial investors routinely default on non-recourse loans that have negative equity.[3] Some argue further that there is a moral duty to strategically default,[4] and that one should make such decisions based on one's financial interest "unclouded by unnecessary guilt or shame", as lenders who do not modify mortgages do the same, "seek[ing] to maximize profits or minimize losses irrespective of concerns of morality or social responsibility,"[5] or more bluntly stating that "The economy is fundamentally amoral."[6] Further, obligations to honor a contract are balanced by obligations to oneself and one's family, the latter speaking in favor of strategic default, some arguing "You need to put yourself and your family's finances first,"[6] while one also has obligations to a community, which may be damaged by default.[4]
Me? I say F the banks.. They are the ones who got so incredibly GREEDY that they would have loaned money to your dog for a new home had you asked..
And, in response to this disaster, our own government has continued bailout after bailout after bailout.. Do you realize that the majority of this bailout money that is given to consumers is merely used to make payments on bank loans and credit cards!
Of course that is the entire GOAL.. of government and the Federal Reserve.. Get money into people's hands any way you can do it so those same people can hand over that same money to the BANKS!
Americans who have been cheated and lied to have NO moral obligations what-so-ever to the very same people who cheated and lied to them..
Everyone's responsibility is to their family, not banks and payday loan companies..
Please check out this definition of Strategic Default and give some serious thought to whether or not it might help your current financial situation..
Greg
Thursday, August 5, 2010
3 minute trailer for #Freedom to #Fascism
If you would like to view the entire video (1hr 51 minutes) you may do so by clicking the link below..
Freedom to Fascism full length
Greg
Processed Foods are Killing Us?
---
One of my favorite conspiracy theories is that the United States government and multinational corporations (the oligarchy) are intentionally making people ill through the introduction of chemicals into our bodies.. These chemicals are introduced by products such as cigarettes, prescription medications and even the [processed] food we eat..
What would be the purpose of such evil?
To feed money/wealth/power to politicians (we will protect you and save you from evil through control and regulation), drug companies/big pharma who are allowed to 'experiment' with new drugs on humans as never before in our history, to the multinational corporations who control our food supply to a health care system/health care insurance system that, in my opinion, is the largest financial bubble in the history of mankind..
Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
*My* suggestion is.. don't borrow their money, don't take their drugs and don't eat their food..
---
One of my favorite conspiracy theories is that the United States government and multinational corporations (the oligarchy) are intentionally making people ill through the introduction of chemicals into our bodies.. These chemicals are introduced by products such as cigarettes, prescription medications and even the [processed] food we eat..
What would be the purpose of such evil?
To feed money/wealth/power to politicians (we will protect you and save you from evil through control and regulation), drug companies/big pharma who are allowed to 'experiment' with new drugs on humans as never before in our history, to the multinational corporations who control our food supply to a health care system/health care insurance system that, in my opinion, is the largest financial bubble in the history of mankind..
Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
*My* suggestion is.. don't borrow their money, don't take their drugs and don't eat their food..
---
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
#Neosho #MO #Insolvency Drama continues
---
The city of Neosho Missouri declined a $1 p/$100 property tax to stave off insolvency for the struggling small city.. Neosho pilfered funds from other city revenue sources just to make payroll.. Afterwords they BORROWED 1.3 millions dollars (because they are bankrupt!) and expected their citizens to come up with another 1.5 million for them in additional city revenue! Voters clearly refused the proposed new tax with fewer than 40% supporting..
Too much debt has the same effect on everyone and everything.. beware..
---
Read the whole story here Neosho voters say [HELL] 'no' to property tax.. Your town, city, state may be the next to fall..
Greg
The city of Neosho Missouri declined a $1 p/$100 property tax to stave off insolvency for the struggling small city.. Neosho pilfered funds from other city revenue sources just to make payroll.. Afterwords they BORROWED 1.3 millions dollars (because they are bankrupt!) and expected their citizens to come up with another 1.5 million for them in additional city revenue! Voters clearly refused the proposed new tax with fewer than 40% supporting..
Too much debt has the same effect on everyone and everything.. beware..
---
Read the whole story here Neosho voters say [HELL] 'no' to property tax.. Your town, city, state may be the next to fall..
Greg
Monday, August 2, 2010
BLATANT #Equity #Market #Manipulation
---
I have been consistently screaming about this for years now.. So nice to hear it from anyone else..
---
Here is a related article that further fleshes this out on ZeroHedge
Write your congressional representatives! Let's let THEM know that WE know that they are cheating by rigging the market in such a way that ONLY the banks can make money..
Greg
I have been consistently screaming about this for years now.. So nice to hear it from anyone else..
---
Here is a related article that further fleshes this out on ZeroHedge
Write your congressional representatives! Let's let THEM know that WE know that they are cheating by rigging the market in such a way that ONLY the banks can make money..
Greg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)