What do the Cock Brothers want to accomplish? Do they want to be able to deal directly with Iran and cut out the middleman? Real ****in Patriots.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...eTIL_blog.html

Which is a shame, because I admire Ron Paul (not Rand, not in the least, he's fake through and through) for his consistency of political view. If Ron ever stopped at the edge of the cliff, I'd consider voting for him, but unfortunately, over the years he's gone ahead and leaped off into crazy too many times for my support.

But I'd rather have Ron Paul and his views on issues on the national stage versus the Democrats than other of the current Republican candidates. He's the class of that poor field.

BTW, Perry attacked Mitt as a member of a religious cult today.

Actually, it was a Perry supporter who endorsed Perry at a Values Voters Summit, not Perry himself:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=17572070

I agree with you about Paul. I'm wanting more of a left-libertarianism outlook on things. His tiptoeing around the abortion issue is for selfish reasons and he really needs to get over that God complex some of us were indoctrinated with.

At this point it doesn't matter. I truly believe we're headed for a total economic collapse far worse than the great depression. What rises from the ashes is anyone's guess but I AM WORRIED. It's just not looking good.

Yes, you're right: I saw where Perry enthusiastically took Jeffress (sp?) support at the VVS, including Jeffress walking around telling all the reporters that Mormonism is a cult at that very function, and no born-again Christian could vote for a cult - then Perry's campaign came out and said the Gov. doesn't think that.

:zz:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1...ard?via=blog_1

I agree with you. There was a piece awhile back comparing similarities between Rome at the end of its time as empire and the USA now (bloated military, foreign wars, etc) but I can't find it now.

I always enjoy your political posts, Coach, because I think you're very smart and I share your cynicism about a lot of things. And you're funny. My issue with Libertarianism is that, to me, it's one of those lines of thinking that depend on a belief that human beings are, at their core, honorable, and that given the chance, we'd all prefer to play on a level field. And I just don't think that's so. I think that, given the opportunity, most people who make it will gladly tilt the field and then pull the ladder up after themselves (apologies for the mixed metaphor). I think it's human nature.

I'm not saying the regulations we have now are the right ones, or even work well, largely because a lot of them are written by the very companies that are seeking to keep the ladder pulled up after them. It's one of the things that annoys me about Ayn Randites- a lot of them completely ignore that, in her magnum opus, one of the biggest villains was a crony capitalist, and that she would, were she around today, have huge contempt for the Jesus-heavy GOP- she hated Ronald Reagan- and the Wall Street/government relationship (yes, I confess; in my teens I read a lot of Ayn Rand. A lot). But even Rand had to compromise with the real world- she went on Medicare when she was older because she couldn't afford her medical bills. And she collected Social Security. And if real life could put a financial squeeze on her, what does it say about what it can do to the rest of us?

But I don't know what the solution is. I'm also really worried. We had a kid last year, and while he's the light and joy of my life, I sometimes wonder if bringing him into the world was a big mistake, because I don't have a lot of hope for what kind of a world he'll grow up into.

I agree about the big worry. Right now, I think our future is in hands of Merkel, the World Bank, the IMF. And no, I'm not encouraged.

I agree with that, regarding why Libertarianism doesn't seem to work in real life (although Ayn Rand's objectivism works pretty well when you rather think Wesley Mouch is Rush Limbaugh, Hank Reardon is more a Gates or Jobs or Buffett, and the hoardes are more the right wing evangelical types :D).

Additionally, we've removed pretty much all law enforcing human nature into a more equal playing field (hence the 2007-2008 crash).

Now Wall Street isn't about capitalizing strong sustainable business growth, it's about computer microtrading to get an extra cent out of trades. It's not about growing a strong business base and making money off that investment, it's about making money on the upswing or crashes, with no thoughts to the consequences of market direction.

When you have Wall Street firms taking the opposition market position than what they have sold to their customers, is anyone surprised at what our financial markets do? For god's sakes, these are the same people that wrapped up completely crap mortgage derivatives, lied and rated them AAA, then sold them to each other until the bottom fell out of that pyramid scheme.
Make sure everyone has a valid passport, because plenty of countries will be just fine if we go.

I had (or still have) a pdf that has a great comparison of both empires. I'll look for it.

I believe we're conditioned to be awful people. In some aspects we're still primates. Without stripping away hate, warfare, elitism, etc. we're never going to make it as a species.

I feel that about 80% of the population are followers. The other 19% consist of powerless critical thinkers that include a subset that are watching the 1% that are the elite globalist old money contingent.

If history has taught us anything is that these monsters in charge have little hesitation to put millions of lives at risk. All for more control, more land, more natural resources, more drugs, etc.

Libertarianism can work with proper tweaking. Diluting the power structure is key, IMHO. Social programs should be kept. All citizens should be well fed and educated. Foreign relations are nice but we cannot help others until we help ourselves.

Some may disagree but so be it. This country is near ruin.


The focus needs to be primarily on the federal reserve, the 6 major banks, and why Goldman Sachs is balls deep in all 3 branches of the federal government.

Don't worry. Learn how to can food. Look into a generator and how to install one yourself. Protect it from an EMP attack. Get lots of rice and salt.

I wish Alex Jones would go up against George Will and Peggy Noonan .... ugh, Nixon lives.

Here's some fun, those two on Amanpour's panel this AM, and they also talked a little to Jesse LaGreca about Occupy Wall Street.

These people are idiots, they haven't got a clue that OWS isn't going away, no matter how hard they try to diss it.

http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/video...tests-14699460

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/octob...eckoning-47690

Americans only worry if football is interrupted.

hey, we have our priorities in order!!

its why we can afford a massive military, but not much else. that way, anytime things get low at home, we just spend a billion or trillion and bomb a sandy country to take everyones mind off the problems at home.
if that fails, we can always count on a congressional inquiry into such important things as steroids in baseball, or a playoff system instead of bowls.

:tro: