Hockey Stick

The Growing Army of Angry Men Whose Lives Have Been Destroyed by the Federal Government

One of the hardest things to deal with in the current economic depression is the disgusting hypocrisy of the U.S. congress, the new president, and the members of the Federal Reserve System. It is one thing to be told, as we all are, that we must hand over fat wads of our hard-earned money to these warmongering and thieving snakes or face jail terms, but one feels a whole new level of revulsion when these people make statements to the effect that they, and they alone, are in a position to "save the economy" by "creating jobs." These statements are made by people who have done virtually everything in their power to destroy the American economy over the last few decades, but who have now proclaimed themselves to be our saviors. Only the most naïve and unlearned among us could possibly be falling for the idea that a bunch of self-serving politicians, bureaucrats and bankers are going to "save" us from problems they have caused.

On its face, the idea that politicians, bureaucrats, and bankers could "save" the economy is laughable. These are people, after all, who live exclusively at our expense. That is, these are people whose entire livelihoods are dependent upon taking money away from productive people and spending it on themselves and their favorite wasteful projects. It's true that they do not all share the same ideas about how to spend the money they take from us. Some prefer to use it to blow up innocent people in foreign lands, while others simply want to take our hard-earned money without our consent and hand it over to other people. The bankers, on the other hand, merely content themselves with printing vast amounts of new money out of thin air that they either hand over to the Treasury Department, or gift to their other banker-buddies to lend out at a profit at our expense. Nevertheless, it should be crystal clear that these people do not actually produce anything themselves (except the bankers, who are very skilled counterfeiters of money). They take money from us through taxation and inflation, (and threaten us with severe punishments if we refuse to obey), and then spend every last penny of it – and more – on war, socialized boondoggles, and welfare. These are the people who would have us believe that they can "save" the economy? How exactly would they accomplish such a thing? More taxes, more idiotic socialized projects, more war, and more newly-printed green paper? Do these actions really seem likely to produce a vibrant and healthy economy, or do they seem more like the actions undertaken by the Supreme Soviet of the U.S.S.R.?

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Obama Unveils New Grand Plan for the Economy

WASHINGTON – President-Elect Barack Obama called on Congress to quickly pass a new fiscal stimulus package that would provide nearly $100,000 trazillion gaquillion frijillion in an effort to revive the U.S. economy, which some experts believe has entered a recession.

"Every economist I've ever heard of agrees what we need now is significantly more government investment to offset the negative effects of whatever it is that is happening," Obama said at his Monday press conference. "Accordingly, I and my team of advisors have developed a comprehensive plan that will shore up our financial institutions, put jobless Americans back to work, allow everyone in a house to keep it no matter what, rescue any failing bank or business, provide a hot meal to anyone who is hungry, improve the well being of all citizens, and give a puppy or kitten to every child who wants one.

"But Congress must put ideology aside and act now in a bipartisan manner before some other even worse stuff happens," he added, wiggling the fingers on both his hands to indicate "scary."

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This is what politicians actually believe.

Central Banking Revolution?

A quiet revolution in central banking is gathering speed, as the Federal Reserve ploughs ever deeper into the brave new world of unorthodox monetary policy and other central banks ponder how far they might have to follow.

The world’s central banks have already undergone dramatic changes since the start of the credit crisis more than a year ago. They have cut interest rates with unprecedented rapidity – in some cases to historic lows – and have increased bank reserves massively to meet heightened private sector demand for liquidity.

Brave New World?

Unorthodox monetary policy?

Dramatic changes?

Last time I checked, cutting interest rates, bailing out big companies, and "injecting liquidity into the market" are the Standard Operating Procedure. I'm pretty sure they did it in the 1930s... and the 1960s... and the 70s... and the 90s...

That's where all of America's money has gone (spent the last of it during the dot.com crash), and it's where Australia's budget surplus is going now.

The only thing different this time is that they're doing MORE of it... and they're making it worse.

Welcome, Hyperinflation, to your new home!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation

Just when I thought Great Rudd and the Ruling Class couldn't get any more stupid, they go ahead do something like this.

CHRISTMAS is coming, but the cupboard won't be bare. Millions of Australia's cash-strapped families, black and white, are about to get the biggest pay day of their lives.

The money, which comes under a Rudd government package to stimulate the economy, will begin to arrive from Monday.

The sums involved are considerable: parents will receive $1000 for every child in the family (the benefit is means-tested); single carers, pensioners and veterans will get $1400; coupled pensioners, carers and veterans will receive $2100. In some remote Aboriginal communities, where families live in extended kinship arrangements, between $10,000 and $20,000 will be deposited per household.

Luckily enough, Australia isn't in budget deficit yet (or so they tell us). First, some comments, then some maths.

1) This is tax money.
2) The report states that millions of families will receive this benefit.
3) The report further states that these families will be poor families.

4) For arguments sake, let's say that there are one million poor families, each with a single child. According to the article, these families will be given $1000 per child. That's another ONE BILLION dollar bite into the budget surplus. That number is very generous, as a lot of families have more than one kid, there's probably a lot more "poor" families than one million, and the calculation doesn't account for pensioners or veterans.

It's probably not a stretch to say that several billion dollars are going to be distributed in this scheme.

Now, you're probably thinking "So what?! Poor people get an extra buck! Isn't that a good thing?"

My answer would be: for the poor people, maybe, and ONLY in the short run.

Firstly (and you'll scoff at this) Lord Rudd is playing favorites by stealing from the rich (well, everyone, really) and giving to (only) the poor, in true socialist fashion.

Secondly, what happens when these several billion dollars enter circulation? An increase in the money supply. The direct cause of inflation. Prices are going to rise EVERYWHERE, so the benefit that the poor families gain at Christmas is going to be immediately mitigated when prices "stabilise" in January. So, the poor don't gain or loose anything, technically, and the slightly better off people just have to cop the price rise.

Thirdly, and finally, when you tally up this policy with all the other bits of government spending that Divine Rudd wants to introduce, you'll notice that the budget surplus is quickly disappearing. When it finally goes into deficit, we'll have to do what the Americans are doing. First, we'll have to borrow from the Chinese (but seeing as they've already lost all of THEIR cash in the US, they might be reluctant). When that avenue is closed, you know what they have to do? They have to PRINT the money. Poof! Whole budgets out of nowhere!

And the Weimar Republic comes home to Australia.

Oh, and if you think this COULDN'T happen in modern times, watch Mr. Mugabe put a scowl of disapproval on your mug: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_Zimbabwe

Was the conversation like this, I wonder...

G-Man 1: "Because of our own regulations, many businessmen have made bad decisions, and the economy is imploding."
G-Man 2: "Good lord, what should we do!"
G-Man 1: "How about we print some money, and give it too them?"
G-Man 2: "We're geniuses! Call the Fed!"

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Lobbyists Swarm the Treasury for a Helping of the Bailout Pie

WASHINGTON — When the government said it would spend $700 billion to rescue the nation’s financial industry, it seemed to be an ocean of money. But after one of the biggest lobbying free-for-alls in memory, it suddenly looks like a dwindling pool...