Fed to markets: Let the bubble blow David Callaway – MarketWatch

Fed to markets: Let the bubble blow David Callaway – MarketWatch

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Politicking: The New Media Century

Lately we’ve heard about the wrestling match going on between the Senate and the White House Administration about when, how and if we should close Guantanamo Bay. Better known as Gitmo. This battle, or war, is being defined by the PR through the public response to the information being passed to us through the Media. You might ask the question, “is there some other way to understand what’s going on?”.

Lets just look at the campaign without the blinders. First we have the campaign promises of Obama on the road to the White House. The next thing we hear is that a one year commitment Obama made to look into the facts about the prisoners being held there so that a plan for dealing with them can be created. The funny part are the things that begin to happen after this.

Next Obama requests 80 million dollars from Congress in order to properly transfer, try and relocate these prisoners according to their threat levels, the evidence surrounding their suspicions, and whether or not they deserve to be released, not to mention everyone’s desire to keep all the secrets secret. Whatever that means.

Now if we look at the dynamics that are occurring in the media we begin to see an array of complexities that are being introduced by the different measures of PR Politicking that is appearing in the press. This is where TV Media gets most of its sources for our prime time viewing. The front page of the NY Times online, for instance, started with not only the articles regarding the events occurring in Congress and the White House, but suddenly there appears this article about a one year investigation that ended in the arrest of several people that, according to the NY Times, have no Terrorist affiliations. Their plan, according to their sources, was to plant an explosive in a car and detonate it at a Jewish Temple.

The investigation, supposedly, lasted for a full year before any arrests were made, and its got me wondering why so long. The fact is that just because someone is accused of something doesn’t make it real until they are convicted fairly, but in America it has become popular to convict people in the media, especially if it runs concurrent to timely events.

Well, someone at the White House must read the papers pretty early, because the next thing that happens is the White House announces that President Obama will appear before the public on the same day to present his case to the American People and to discredit the actions and legal council of the previous administration. And suddenly, this is the new NY Times Headline! That’s when it hit me that this was all a chess game of PR to form an opinion, in the minds of the people, that will allow the course of future events surrounding the prisoners in Guantanamo, to become the path of least resistance. Like parting the Red Sea, so that events can travel through the path created instead of creating one based on facts and truth.

To me this has all become the reasons why we will never, under these conditions, reach any of the goals that were laid down by Obama when he was running for President. People always talk about “how Washington operates”, and from this brief look at the politics of our media, I can see that it is a combination of Lobbyist powers (private and governmental) coupled with the Media Game, and the numbers in their ingenious poles. This is entirely built on the foundation that people, as a mass response, are dictated by their emotional bond with the story behind why we embrace certain points rather than the truth involved.

The second Iraq invasion is a perfect example of how American’s can be blinded into seeing justification within the perfect lie. Their PR work on the ‘War on Terror’ was so effective that Obama must now confront the existing momentum of those past policies in order to change course. He will have to prove to the American People that the things they were doing, speaking of the past Administration, were quote: “unjust, haphazard, ad hoc approach”. The old PR slant was to push people into thinking that Democrats were NOT tough on Security Issues. Then Cheney appears out of nowhere to refute Obama’s claims against the Bush Administration, and this will go on for a week.

This is slightly off topic, but has a similar relationship to the dynamics I’m seeing. Last night I watched a documentary on Frazetta, an artist whose work became so popular on science fiction novels that publishers wanted to buy his art before they had a novel to put it on. People would buy the books just because he had done the art on the cover, regardless of the content. Our Pop Media has become so caught up in this that the momentum alone has become bigger than any one reporter, or team or paper, or network.

This is what the decline of a culture looks like. When truth becomes someones slant and facts are things we say ending in the phrase, “these are the facts”. And, if you don’t believe me just ask someone for there opinion about something recent in the news and you will get quotes from whatever news agency they preach. Then try to point out any real facts you have uncovered and see where the conversation goes. I’d like to say it’s fun, but it’s not. It’s a bit sad if you ask me.

Last Night on TV

So, last night I’m watching the La Lakers take the first game of the Western Conference Finals (online of course) and I get to watch all the commercials on ESPN. Some of you might think that’s a bit odd, but I don’t have access to commercial television; no cable or satellite dish, just my internet connection.

All through the game I saw a lot of different advertising and this one I couldn’t believe. First of all Toyota is advertising their prius and it’s Green Appeal, and then I see this Cadillac Escalade commercial and it hits me that this whole GM bailout is going to fail, sure as shit. How is this any different?

Toyota and Honda are both selling cars that people need in order to meet with the changes coming, frankly gasoline cannot last for ever and these things can get 50 mpg. What does an Escalade get for mileage. I don’t even care. Like I said I don’t even own cable..

It amazes me we even bothered bailing anything out at all, the banks the insurers and the automakers can fold and I don’t think I would miss them at all. It seems to me that they got themselves into this mess, right!?

But, promising the American Government that it would change directions and then going on like “business as usual”, minus the layoffs, factory closures, and dealer closings. Don’t worry we’ll help you stretch out that failure, while we let our factory workers and and sales people find something else to do.

Personally I believe that all that bailout money would have been far more wisely spent on education, because the people running these companies obviously missed out on economics 101…

My Name is America, and I’m a Power-aholic…

Since the dawn of Power, Nations have sought to control the world through political and military strength. It is quite rare that countries and there power are ever totally honest about their own repercussions unless they are defeated by the next leader of the “Known World”.

For the last two years (one of the longest campaigns in history) we have heard about the “Change” embraced by the Obama Administration, but what does that mean. Well, according to Alex, change means to fix the pipes that are broken. Bronco says that it is an inherent trait of every administration to build new things in order to leave a mark in history, but the problems are underground, in those pipes.

What really needs to change in America lately seems to be the need to change. We live in a two party political system that swings like a rusty pendulum, where nothing ever really seems to change at all. It’s renamed or ignored and the thing that does seems to change is usually the etiquette defining the behavior surrounding it, rather than the thing itself. If you don’t believe me try ending some pork barrel project in the democratic whip’s state.

Seriously, we all just need to get used to it. Franky nothing short of a total overhaul of Washington will accomplish a thing, because no matter what it’s just going to keep pretending to represent the people and will continue to support the special interests of politicians that benefit from their constituents political payoffs, in the form of campaign funding. It’s all about getting and keeping you position, rather than sacrificing any political future to do what is right for the individuals whom you represent.

America needs to go to Rehab, and get off the politico-Crack it’s high on. And the media, which is supposed to be the public watch dog, has way fallen short of it’s duties, suffering the same addictive behaviors that Washington is suffering from, which is the threat of being cut off by the dealers that are swinging the Blonde, Gold the political system is all cracked out on!

“Half measures availed us nothing.. We stood at a turning point” and guess what happens if nothing changes… you got it, “Nothing Changes”!

Is that Tamiflu in your pocket…?

OMG!! We’re all gonna DIE! Again… It really amazes me how ridicules the Nation’s Media is. Look, I like Drama just as much as the next guy, but Pandemic? The Spanish Influenza kill 50 million people in 30 days. Loosing 200 in a week is not on the same scale. First of all only about 50-75 people in the US have contracted this thing, and according to “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (they) estimate that approximately 1.1 million persons are living with HIV in the United States.”(1)

The funny part about living with the US’ Media is that they are all on the same script. I wonder if viewers could start a group law suit for starting a panic over total misinformation. When Howard Dean was tore apart by the Media after misinterpreting what I would consider to be a pep rally to raise the morale of the thousands of volunteers that were there to support his Campaign. For weeks we had to see this one stupid picture that fraudulently depicted his actions, while the “commentator news core” ripped on him and told us all about his poor behavior, unbecoming of a president.

Now, everyone may not agree with me, but I think he was the only president running at the time who had any real plan, including a balanced budget, health care for America, and alternative energy. We could have really used him in 2004, but that’s not what happened. Instead we got a Republican agenda which was running rampant against all the things most American’s believe in, like Torture and Financial System Bailouts, and 4 dollar a gallon gasoline.

Personally I feel that any format that presents itself as a news program must leave commentary to the commentary segments and should be held accountable for the facts they present as news to America. I wish Howard Dean would have sued AP News and any parrot news agency who repeated the lie. It’s bullshit and we all know the Media is a PR scandel in American life. If you don’t believe me check out your sources and the fact surrounding them and see what’s what. Don’t take my word for it, do a little research on your information.

1). Taken from the CDC website.

A Taxing Tea Party

In response to Congress’ new Stimulus Package A site called taxdayteaparty.com/ has become the highly vocal spirit behind the movement to protest the taxation built into the new Congressional Stimulus Package. Fox News, as well, have begun running commentary ringing the theme “Take Back America”. A big position for a National News Service, to say the least.

It has been my opinion that there is a strong and steady building of sides that has cast a shadow on the Obama Administration. Probably not as potent as the separation of ideals that originally led to the breakaway states that ignited the Civil War in the 1800’s, but America has definitely come to a turning point in its History.

As Fox News has pointed out there is almost no coverage from many of the Major News Services in the US or abroad for that matter. It doesn’t seem PC to discuss it.

Michael Steel, RNC Chairman, had to respond publicly to rumors that he was asking to be counted in as a participant of the Tax Day Demonstrations. According to his response he had never considered himself involved in any way, nor had he suggested that to Tax Day Tea Party or its organizers.

In the past few months since Obama has taken office there have been a cacophony of voices cheering on one side of the isle, while another less casual voice from across the way that has begun chanting descent of the Liberal Pull that has swept through Congress.

But, lets not forget that the Republicans got the ball rolling with the TARP program request to Congress which gave $700 bil to financial institutes, who essentially put the US in dyer straights with reckless decisions, while ignoring the systemic risks involved, not to mention the bailout of Bear Stearns and AIG, Instigated by George Bush’s choice for Fed Chief, Ben Bernanke.

Some of America have become quite upset with the bailout and feel that the economy should have followed the natural course it had created for itself, which could have brought a huge number of major banks to ruin. It’s hard to say what’s really helping, but it is well known in economic circles, that the Government isn’t responsible for the health of the economy, or shouldn’t be. Hence the idea of Free Enterprise.

Its very hard to predict where this movement will take us, as it is equally difficult to predict whether or not the now Trillions of dollars being spent on these broken financials will ultimately do what it has been intended to do.

The good news is that people are talking about topics that were once considered taboos in America. Lets just hope it comes to wholesome and constructive ends!

The Republican Party

What has happened to the Grand Old Party. It seems to be confused about its own Identity. Conservative has strayed from the path of Fiscal Conservative to Moral Conservative, which has left the Fiscal Hawks feeling left out and betrayed by their own party members. Many have turned to the Libertarian Party as a hope that they will someday overcome the 2 party rules in order to regain their voice. How did this happen.

In 1979 Ronald Reagan ran on a fiscal/moral platform, promising not only to reignite the economy through sound fiscal management, which included rewriting the tax code, lowering taxes to the rich (which he dubbed trickle down economics) and working out an agreement with OPEC to restore cheap energy. He also reignited the Faithful by promising to fill Judicial Positions with Justices that would help to reverse the Liberal trend that brought this country cases like Row vs. Wade. The tactic itself was so successful that it became a new shining foundation of the Republican Party itself and redefined the very word Conservative to mean Moral, leave the Fiscal behind.

Since Eisenhower was president each president, in order, had sought to reduce the Federal Deficit to GDP ratio. Reagan turned that around and found new ways for the government to borrow. One of those ways, borrowing from the Social Security Trust, still hasn’t been replenished. The problem with this kind of shift is that it has left the fiscally responsible without a Conservative Party. That is unless you are anti-abortion. I actually met someone who was voting for Bush in 2004 entirely based on his ability to put justices on the Supreme Court that would support her desire to stop abortion, which by the way never occurred. Row vs. Wade is still the law.

So what drives the Republican Party members and their supporters. It certainly isn’t the promises of trickle down economics, or fiscal responsibility. Is it just good PR that keeps people interested in their promises. This election, in my opinion, doesn’t really give us enough information about how people in this country feel about Republican Trends. McCain, in my opinion doesn’t represent the majority of the Faithful or the Fiscal, so the numbers don’t say much about it specifically, but where does this leave the Republican Party.

Personally I believe, as George Washington believed, that Parties have reduced our political system into a shadow of what it was intended to be, and the Media has been right there helping to reduce our elections into a media event rather than a fact based challenge of those who wish to lead the American People. The American Consumer masses are more interested in how a person presents themselves (easily influenced by the media), rather than what they represent, or David Kucinich and Ron Paul wouldn’t be such ghosts to the middle class, too busy slaving away to pay off the debt that has made them all so comfortable in their life-styles.

That is, until something goes wrong…

Cause and Effect: The Evolution of our Environment

I couldn’t tell you which brilliant philosopher said we we’re the result of our environment, but the more I look at the current Global and National environment, the more I feel our culture and the World’s cultures are being shaped by the events our environment are currently offering us. In the past events have helped, if not controlled, the shifts in our perception that allow change to occur.

In the early 30’s in America, we saw (historically speaking) a huge shift in the mainstream perceptions toward the purpose and our common agreement as citizens within our society. People had lost confidence in the markets and the banking institutions. This new sentiment led to the creation of the New Deal and a lean toward a more socialistic form of capitalism. Money being spent to shore up the welfare of the community and a sharing of the wealth in the area of technology and labor became the chant of the day.

There is so much more to say on this, but what’s the point… who cares! I’m just ready for something else!

Today we are seeing some of the same obstacles we saw during the prequel to the Great Stock Market Crash of 29. We see banks tightening, unwilling to lend to each other, let alone consumers. The markets are filled with giant waifs of exuberance and the biggest investors, while cheering us to invest in the future (albeit cautiously) are themselves pulling their money out of the markets in order to avoid the hefty fluctuation of volatility being exhibited. In September 210 billion dollars was pulled out of Hedge Funds, which collapsed the prices in everything from tech stocks to oil.

The Federal Reserve and the Treasury of the US have been hard at work trying to give investor something to trust by dropping trillions of dollar into the markets, mostly banking. This is an attempt to restore consumer and investor confidence. So, what if it fails as it did in the 30’s. The S&P 500 which in 1929 was at around $340.00 continued to fluctuate for another 3 years, rising with the morning news and crashing by the evening edition finally landing at $44. This I don’t find surprising whatsoever.

Many have called this Crisis a “Credit Crisis” and recently I had heard the use “Confidence Crisis”, but really what it amounts to is a “Truth Crisis”. The fact is that it is a Debt Issue we are talking about, as well as a Growth Issue. Growth is necessary for a couple of reasons, in order to keep up with things like: Interest, out dating of technology, repair, natural losses caused by acts of God, and my favorite… Acclimation. We as human beings get bored with the mundane. We constantly need something new and sometimes we can’t seem to find it anymore, no matter how many times we try to revive all the old styles. So, what’s missing…

What is it that leads us to create drama in our lives in order to see beyond it. My guess is that it’s all of these things, but mostly I believe it is truth. Consciousness will never be truly content with the satiation of lies as long as it keep us from the greater pleasure of collective happiness. This can only come through direct experience. If you don’t believe me visit an addiction group meeting and within a few minutes you’ll hear that the main theme of sobriety is real life experience, directly had.

Nothing short of death can really succeed to distract us from who we really are for very long, and if you look at some of the realities of our society it is easy to see that it isn’t distracting us the way it did when the technology was fairly new. I mean think about it. When was the last time you remember the family coming together in the den to listen to the Presidents Fireside Chats, or a Sci Fi Fiction for that matter. Face it, we’re bored!

So, why try to save the banks. No really, who cares if the monetary system collapses. Something new will yield from the ashes of the past. It is inevitable. What about life being the incentive for happiness, what about exploration and creative achievement, instead of watching TV or being a file clerk just to pay off the philosophy degree debt. To me it seems like we have sort of lost something between paychecks. What is it? Does anyone know where this is headed?