Via Huffington Post, we get what may be "the most dangerous part of Donald Trump's campaign" ...
- Mark
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
IS EUGENICS BEHIND DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN?
Via Huffington Post, we get what may be "the most dangerous part of Donald Trump's campaign" ...
HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE WE CREATED OUT OF THIN AIR? ENOUGH TO KNOW WE'RE SITTING ON ANOTHER FINANCIAL BUBBLE
Over the past few years I've explained what a mess our economy has become since we learned how to create more and more money out of virtually nothing. In many ways, we're living in Rumplestiltskin's make believe world, where straw can be turned into gold, to the tune of $1.2 quadrillion. Check this out ...
Rumplestiltskin, as we know, is a child's fairy tale. What many of us don't know is that Rumplestiltskin is an exaggerated caricature of the ancient alchemists, who searched over the centuries for the Philosopher's Stone, a mysterious substance which the ancients believed had the power to turn base metals into gold.
Creating money out of virtually nothing was a slow process in America during the 20th century, and started almost immediately after World War II (a story for another day). Unfortunately, it's clear the vast majority of America (humanity?) has no idea how we've been able to create more and more money (hint: we're printing it, in cyberspace).
This is why over the years, and in my book, I tried to show how our modern economy creates money out of thin air. Specifically, over three years ago I tried to explain how simple 'futures markets' for goods like cattle and wheat morphed into highly unstable futures markets for financial services, like interest rates and insurance (which I posted on here, here, and here).
The incredible part is how financial markets have exploded so that the value of the underlying goods - like cattle and wheat - is now dwarfed by the wealth affiliated with the financial contracts that "derive" their actual value from goods created.
Why is this development important to understand? Because our financial system has exploded to the point that the goal is no longer to create things - like cattle and wheat - as much as it is to extract profits and wealth from the financial contracts that fund real commerce.
In real simple terms, think about what Wells Fargo did. It's wealth extraction through fee and service contracts, but at a whole new level.
In fact, the size of the world's overgrown financial services markets - about $1.2 quadrillion - dwarfs the size of America's actual economy - about $18 trillion - as this YouTube clip makes clear ...
Here's the point you should understand if you watched the entire YouTube clip: We're sitting on a financial bubble.
- Mark
Rumplestiltskin, as we know, is a child's fairy tale. What many of us don't know is that Rumplestiltskin is an exaggerated caricature of the ancient alchemists, who searched over the centuries for the Philosopher's Stone, a mysterious substance which the ancients believed had the power to turn base metals into gold.
Creating money out of virtually nothing was a slow process in America during the 20th century, and started almost immediately after World War II (a story for another day). Unfortunately, it's clear the vast majority of America (humanity?) has no idea how we've been able to create more and more money (hint: we're printing it, in cyberspace).
This is why over the years, and in my book, I tried to show how our modern economy creates money out of thin air. Specifically, over three years ago I tried to explain how simple 'futures markets' for goods like cattle and wheat morphed into highly unstable futures markets for financial services, like interest rates and insurance (which I posted on here, here, and here).
The incredible part is how financial markets have exploded so that the value of the underlying goods - like cattle and wheat - is now dwarfed by the wealth affiliated with the financial contracts that "derive" their actual value from goods created.
Why is this development important to understand? Because our financial system has exploded to the point that the goal is no longer to create things - like cattle and wheat - as much as it is to extract profits and wealth from the financial contracts that fund real commerce.
In real simple terms, think about what Wells Fargo did. It's wealth extraction through fee and service contracts, but at a whole new level.
In fact, the size of the world's overgrown financial services markets - about $1.2 quadrillion - dwarfs the size of America's actual economy - about $18 trillion - as this YouTube clip makes clear ...
Here's the point you should understand if you watched the entire YouTube clip: We're sitting on a financial bubble.
- Mark
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
"ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS WALK UPRIGHT, AND NOT DRAG HIS KNUCKLES, AND HE FAILED" ... KGET 17 NEWS PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ANALYSIS
Republican Cathy Abernathy and I got together for a post-debate analysis on KGET 17 News Sunrise program this morning. Since I got the opening question, I went with the obvious point about Donald Trump: "All he had to do was walk upright, and not drag his knuckles, and he failed" (video clip here).
The first question - did Donald Trump stick to the script and look presidential? - was a follow up to my on-air comments from the previous day, where I said that if Donald Trump simply acted civil he would dispel a lot of the concern that he doesn't have the temperament to be president. He simply needed to be calm and act like an adult during last night's debate.
Unfortunately for Trump, while he did well the first 20 minutes, or so - which I acknowledged - he ended up going off the rails, big time.
In fact, by the end of the debate it was obvious that Trump didn't have the "stamina" (as it were) to finish the program. Apart from his very audible snorts and interesting face contortions, he was all over the place when it came to foreign affairs, and seemed completely lost on cyber security (what's up with the 400 lb. hacker?).
For her part, Hillary Clinton looked prepared and, yes, presidential.
To be sure, Hillary seemed a bit frustrated (bemused?) a few times because of Trump's incoherence but it was clear that this wasn't her first rodeo. More importantly, it was obvious that she alone understands the serious of the presidential stage, and the moment.
While Hillary Clinton might get a small bump in the polls from the debate it's also true that Trump's supporters live in another reality, and think he did a great job. This means a presidential race that should be over is a long way from being done.
- Mark
On a side note, we'll be back on KGET tonight (Sept. 27, 2016) at 5 pm, for another post-debate wrap up.
The first question - did Donald Trump stick to the script and look presidential? - was a follow up to my on-air comments from the previous day, where I said that if Donald Trump simply acted civil he would dispel a lot of the concern that he doesn't have the temperament to be president. He simply needed to be calm and act like an adult during last night's debate.
Unfortunately for Trump, while he did well the first 20 minutes, or so - which I acknowledged - he ended up going off the rails, big time.
In fact, by the end of the debate it was obvious that Trump didn't have the "stamina" (as it were) to finish the program. Apart from his very audible snorts and interesting face contortions, he was all over the place when it came to foreign affairs, and seemed completely lost on cyber security (what's up with the 400 lb. hacker?).
For her part, Hillary Clinton looked prepared and, yes, presidential.
To be sure, Hillary seemed a bit frustrated (bemused?) a few times because of Trump's incoherence but it was clear that this wasn't her first rodeo. More importantly, it was obvious that she alone understands the serious of the presidential stage, and the moment.
While Hillary Clinton might get a small bump in the polls from the debate it's also true that Trump's supporters live in another reality, and think he did a great job. This means a presidential race that should be over is a long way from being done.
- Mark
On a side note, we'll be back on KGET tonight (Sept. 27, 2016) at 5 pm, for another post-debate wrap up.
Monday, September 26, 2016
DONALD TRUMP'S EXTREMELY LOW BAR TONIGHT ... KGET 17 NEWS SUNRISE ANALYSIS
I was on KGET 17 News Sunrise program this morning with Republican Cathy Abernathy. During our discussion - which you can access here - we went over what the candidates need to do in tonight's presidential debate. My primary point was a simple one. Pretty much all Donald Trump needs to do is show he can walk and chew gum without getting snarky and he probably wins the debate.
Yeah, the bar is that low for Donald Trump.
Hillary, however, needs to hit it out of the park.
Yeah, there's a double standard here.
This, folks, is democracy in America ...
Sigh.
- Mark
On another note, we'll be on KGET 17 News again tonight (Sept. 26) at 5 pm, right before the presidential debates at 6 pm. It should be fun.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
READING FOR THE WEEK (Sept. 25, 2016
What exactly is a microaggression? Let these examples from Hollywood movies explain (Quartz).
When baseball's best player refused to play (Ozy).
Giant holes are bursting open in Siberia, and you can hear the explosions from 60 miles away (Business Insider).
2016's most & least federally dependent states (Wallet Hub).
THINGS WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT
The true cost ... Why the private prison industry is about so much more than prisons (TPM).
Where productivity is sizzling hot (Ozy).
What Ken Ham isn't telling you about Ark Encounter funding ... Hint: It's a tax scam (Patheos)
The truth about undocumented immigrants and taxes (The Atlantic).
America's rivers and streams are overflowing with microplastic pollution (Quartz).
RAPE CHARGES AND THE CHARLATAN NAMED DONALD TRUMP
Why new child rape case filed against Donald Trump should not be ignored (Huffington Post).
How to cover a charlatan like Trump (NY Times).
THE 'IRISH SLAVES' LIE
How the myth of the "Irish slaves" became a favorite of racists online (Southern Poverty Law Center).
'Irish slaves': Historian destroys racist myth conservatives love to share on Facebook (Raw Story).
POLICING IN AMERICA
New ACLU cellphone app automatically preserves video of police encounters (The Nation).
Cops caught pepper spraying handcuffed 15-year-old girl after she was hit by a car (Raw Story).
How one of the deadliest police forces in America stopped shooting people (Quartz).
Carrying while black? Be careful, community leaders warn (Houston Chronicle).
Are black or white offenders more likely to kill police (Washington Post)?
King: White men killed most cops in 2016, conservatives silent (Daily News).
Once again: There is no 'war on cops.' And those who claim otherwise are playing dangerous games (Washington Post).
Why have we forgotten the FBI's warning that white supremacy had infiltrated law enforcement (Urban Intellectual)?
Study says white extremists have killed more Americans in the U.S. than jihadists since 9/11 (Time).
White Americans are the biggest terror threat in the United States (PRI).
Right-wing extremists are a bigger threat to America than ISIS (Newsweek).
Here are 10 of the worst domestic terror attacks by extreme Christians and right-wing white men (Raw Story).
MORE IDIOTS BEING IDIOTS
Kentucky governor suggests patriots may have to "shed blood" if Clinton is elected (Mother Jones).
NRA fights to preserve gun rights for convicted stalkers, and domestic abusers (Raw Story).
Ohio Trump campaign chair Kathy Miller says there was 'no racism' before Obama (The Guardian).
MISCELLANEOUS
[She redeems herself, kind of] Ohio Trump campaign chair Kathy Miller resigns after saying there was 'no racism' before Obama (Jezebel).
The U.S. map redrawn as 50 states with equal population (Mental Floss).
Ketchup sandwiches and other things stupid poor people eat (Think Progress).
U.S. Household income grew 5.2 percent in 2015, breaking pattern of stagnation (NY Times).
- Mark
Friday, September 23, 2016
LANGSTON HUGHES ... "I, TOO"
Look what my friend Leonel Martinez found, from yesterday's NY Times ...
- Mark
Addendum: You can learn about Langston Hughes here.
- Mark
Addendum: You can learn about Langston Hughes here.
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE KAEPERNICK CONUNDRUM FOR THE FAKE PATRIOTS AND REAL LIFE BIGOTS
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- Mark
Update Meme: No comment necessary ...
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