It Will Only Get Worse Before It Gets Worse.

"It can't get any worse" Wrong

2010 was a pretty bad year for 98% of America.

In 2010 America owed more money to other countries than ever before. More people lost jobs and couldn't find a replacement job in their former career or even at Taco Bell. Lots of people were foreclosed on-and the number of  foreclosures for 2010 won't be fully reconciled with until mid 2011 when the halfway mark is finally reached.

More people have no health insurance-fewer people have retirement savings and can't count on their homes for retirement anymore because they are worth 30% less in some areas. More people are on food stamps than ever before-some 43 million and growing. More people are doubling and tripling up in homes not yet foreclosed on and the ones that can't do that are living in their cars until they get repossessed. Everyone else is either homeless or dead.

Real Money is not Play Money

In the meantime the Wall Street bankers were given trillions in loans at O% interest by Golden Boy Ben Bernake king of the Federal Reserve- who imposed no demands on the banksters to do anything to help America in its time of need. As more bailed out banks are expected to fail in 2011-everyone waits for Paul Bunion's mighty ax to fall on criminal cartel Bank of America-courtesy of WikiLeaks.

 Now the states are crumbling-unable to function without borrowing and Republicans have yanked that safety net by refusing to extend the bonds program. Unable to borrow -states will be forced to default. 
Sadly caught up in insanity of unsustainable growth they didn't stay within their budgets-borrowing from tomorrow to pay for today-as have so many regular Americans living the American scheme.

 So don't feel too bad about your own pathetic situation-you were only doing what you have been brainwashed to do-you were just being a good consumerist droid. Hopefully now you can step back, come out of your coma and start over with a clean slate.

Clean Slate tip #1

Admit you are poor. Too many of the former middle class are in deep denial that they are actually-in reality nearly or already poor. (Gasp) 



How the banks see you

As they cut and slash their household budgets the bargaining begins. What to give up and what is worth keeping. The list starts with the toys and luxuries once viewed as necessities.

Which nice car gets parked and which one gets driven- Since you can't afford insurance for both (or all three) anymore.The everything cable package turns to extended basic-finally to just basic.Starbucks fresh ground turns to Folgers canned ground-with a little Safeway Select added in between and you find yourself picking through clearance cuts of meat  just like the people on food stamps do. (egad!)

 Cell phones minutes get reduced to help offset the cost of gasoline.
Little by little the empire shrinks and the only safety net left is the unused balance left on a charge card. When the quality of the food has gone down to make affordable meals-you have arrived at reality and the only question remains-so what are you going to do about it?


Prepare for the worst case scenario


In two years time many of the worlds leading economic experts have mentioned that our current economic crisis is the tip of the iceberg with another Great Depression looming in 2011.Names like Alan Greenspan-Ben Bernanke-George Soros-Frederick Mishkin-Joeseph Stieglitz-Paul Krugman and Paul Volker just to name a few.

Some may say that the stock markets rally proves this prediction wrong-but in 1929 the stock market rallied before plunging into its final death spiral. Housing prices in 1929 fell 25.9% -today they are hanging by a thread at 25%. Unemployment was at 20% during the Great Depression-unemployment today is in reality around 18-23% counting those uncounted who are jobless but get no unemployment benefits.

California has raised tuition fees 32% and Arizona has sold its state Capital and Supreme Court buildings to investors and are now leasing them back. California-the 8th largest economy in the world has a $25 billion short fall. Texas has a $10 billion short fall-Illinois $15 billion-New Jersey $10.5 billion-Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, North Carolina, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and Virginia all have short falls from $1.2 billion-$3.8 billion and could default sometime in the coming year. Many of these states can't slash anymore from their budgets without it affecting essential services like public works, police or fire departments.

In reality times haven't been this bad for state and local communities since the Great Depression. Loan losses are higher for banks than the depression. Unemployment at or near depression levels have made the government look at how they tally the figures-going from two year caps on numbers to five-as the length of the long term joblessness rivals that of the Depression.





Some states unemployment numbers are already at Great Depression levels above 20% States like California 21.9% Nevada 21.5% Michigan 21.6% and Oregon 20.1%  Total wages,median wages and average wages have all declined while those at the top grew more than five times-this must mean that water does flow uphill after all -as reverse trickle down. Housing prices are expected to fall more across the board another 20% or more.

Extreme alarmists are saying this will be the Great Collapse while more positive alarmists say it will just be worse than the Great Depression-while the government alarmists say "we need to save the rich from paying more taxes so they can trickle some of it- your way." Meanwhile everything stays the same for 98% of us.

The paradox of common sense

Our economy and public institutions are facing massive, systematic problems. If those in power had the sense to fix these problems-wouldn't they have had the sense not to let them happen in the first place? So how can we have any faith that they offer any solutions?

Maybe that's why the Department of Homeland Security is going a little overboard with all that extra security.

Maybe they know full well when the middle class finally wakes up and realised they are poor-they will be really angry-and willing to drive their nice SUVs into Bank Of America before it gets repo-ed.

And when the Republican middle class realises they've been ripped off by their own party then they will do a little second amendment solving of their own.

And who can blame them?

Beware of cognitive dissonance-a state of denial and inability to recognise reality as it is. The nearly extinct middle class are suffering from this-still clinging to the idea of having something that is evaporating at the speed of light. Avoid at all cost the dwelling on- "how things should be" and see things as they are.



"No we're rich- no we're poor"



The sooner you realise you are becoming poor the quicker you can respond-and one day recover. Poor people have the advantage over you-they know how to survive on very little-they've got a PHD in essential living.

If the middle class is too arrogant to learn from others then they are doomed to fail.

And don't forget-the rich don't give a rat's ass about you-especially the conservative ones. 

We the people are getting tired of being treated like the little nothing people.

ickenittle

Will The Real Terrorists Please Stand Up.



 Would you be more willing to snitch on your neighbor if the government encouraged you to?

Well, they are- under the nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, or SAR-a huge database the FBI is building that stores the profiles of tens of thousands of Americans and legal residents-who haven't been accused of a crime-but have acted suspicious enough to catch the spying eye of a nosey neighbor, local cop-or co-worker.

At the same time the FBI is expanding its West Virginia database- merging with DHS (Homeland Security) and the Defense Dept. are for the first time sharing finger print databases and planning to merge with Federal, state, and local police departments under the Biometrics Identity Management Agency System making all agencies symbiotic-kind of like one giant police state department.

This behemoth police state department will be able to better identify potential citizens terrorists through the spy- on -your- neighbor- program under the direction of Janet Napolitano's Homeland security "See something-say something." program designed to get snitches citizens more actively involved in stomping out terrorists be they domestic (us) or otherwise (them)

As it stands now-there is nothing illegal about behaving in a suspicious manner-however-rest assured your government is working on it.

If The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative works as intended it will hold files from all police departments in the continuing search for terror suspects.

Since being a "suspect" isn't a crime yet they will be acting as if it is-collecting information on people with no criminal history-but who act suspicious. Unfortunately the definition of suspicious behavior has yet to be determined- so it seems anyone is fair game and can become a government spy with the blessing of Homeland security.

And with the Patriot Act firmly in place anyone deemed a "terror suspect" can be held without being charged with a crime-all to make us safe from the evils of terrorism while the financial terrorists continue to traumatize America rendering it homeless. Will the real terrorists please stand up.

Civil Liberties?

Advisers in the Obama administration have proposed an idea to create a special legal system to indefinitely detain people by executive order out of the need to do something with detainees in Guantanamo.
Before his Presidential win-Obama condemned the Bush administration for its abuse of the executive order-funny how when things change they only stay  the same.

Rather than follow the law-and try them-this government pretends it can just shove them under the rug.

Knowing the impossibility of winning any case where torture was involved prosecutors are stuck in the mud.-and now are left to drum up ways to prolong the imprisonment of many people already cleared  for release. 



Free speech for some

 The government proposes to further detain them through guilt by association-a fabricated convenience  based on being either related to the wrong people-or being acquainted to the wrong people. Meanwhile in the mix of all those detained- are innocent civilians. For these people the U.S. government is nothing more than hostage takers. Attach the word terrorist to anyone and the rule of law does not apply.

Free Speech?

Trying to head off a potential attack on free speech due to the WikiLeaks controversy, civil organizations have banded together to speak out against actions that would limit journalistic free speech. In the wake of disclosure of US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks some government officials have called for legal or military reprisals against the organization and it's founder Julian Assange.

"We urge caution against any legislation that could weaken the principles of free expression vital to a democratic society or hamper online freedom." The group said.

 And House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers (D-MI) said he did not believe WikiLeaks had committed a crime. "Being unpopular is not a crime, and publishing offensive information is not either, and repeated calls from politicians, journalists,and other so- called experts-crying out for criminal prosecutions or other extreme measures makes me very uncomfortable."

U.S. Department of Justice said it was investigating whether it could charge WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with espionage or conspiracy, but no formal charges have been issued yet-until they dig a little deeper-and make up a charge or two.




Up and coming Safety Initiative.

 TSA Do You Feel Safer?

A 56 year old woman was arrested for refusing a TSA pat down at Austin Bergstan International Airport.

Claire Hirschkind couldn't go through the body scanner due to a pace maker. Instead she was escorted to a female TSA agent to undergo an enhanced TSA pat down-which includes sliding hands down buttocks between legs, over breasts and running hand around inside of the waistband of underwear. When Claire refused to have her breasts groped by the TSA agent they arrested her-pushed her to the ground and handcuffed her-dragging her 25 yards across the floor.

A spokesperson for TSA said "security is not optional."

The ACLU has received over 900 complaints about TSA manhandling of passengers in November alone. Maybe TSA could learn a little TLC to improve their customer relations. Janet Nepalitano and Homeland security may be implementing body scanners at Transit stations as well as airports.There may come a day where body scanners will be in many public places all in the name of making us safe-where intrusion means safety-and safety really means keeping them safe from the rest of us.

Stepping up security

Along with creating an environment of fear the Department of Homeland Security is stepping up security in what they deem "soft Targets" meaning more casual places people intermingle like shopping malls, and big box stores. Using "enhanced security"  includes more security cameras and body scanners. Public places will become more and more controlled with intrusive devices all under the fabricated premise of safety from a government that is beginning to feel less democratic and more like a fascist state.

When being safe means being under surveillance in every public place-fearing your neighbors spying on you and fearing your conversations on the Internet are being monitored you are living in an atmosphere of paranoia.

 When coercion is used to get you to mistrust your neighbor-the next step is to get you to turn them in-only terrible things happen after that-where people with opposing view points are deemed enemies of the state and arrested. We are at the beginning stages of "soft fascism" how far we let it continue is up to us.

The GOP and corporatist Obama administration have enabled the further plundering of America by the too big to fail institutions where financial terrorism has replaced weapons of mass destruction.Where banks steal peoples homes and Wall Street steals peoples pensions and the Federal Reserve steals tax payer dollars to keep them propped up without demanding anything in return.

1.8 billion in state budget short falls-1.43 billion in banker bonuses. 50 million people without health care.




The inmates are in charge.

 Our government has gone insane.


No one is safe when the crazies are in charge.



ickenittle

The Great Scrooging of Granny








The wolf that ate Grandma's CD

There are approximately 40 million senior citizens living in 25 million households according to the census bureau, more than 12 million live on less than $30,000 a year-which might not seem so bad until you look a little closer and realise that household income is not the same as individual income.

The truth is these seniors need to live with family members whose joint income equals $30,000 dollars and half of the workers in these households have less than $2000 in retirement savings of any kind.

58% of those between 60-84 will at some point fail to have enough money to get through times of unexpected expenses-or declining income and 55% between the ages of 60-64 are postponing retirement all together. Looks like being a Walmart greeter has become an enviable job.




Before the banks became CRIMINAL CARTEL GAMBLING CASINOS- they used to pay interest on savings accounts and CDs'. Many of today's seniors thought that they would be able to grow their money over the years and use the interest to supplement their Social Security. It was the only way for a lot of seniors to provide for themselves in the future.

That was then this is now.

During 1990-2007 seniors could get a 5% return on CDs' to make ends meet to cover expenses Social Security alone couldn't completely cover. Today the average rate of a six month CD is is a pitiful .30%.


What happened to your interest?

 You can thank Ben Bernanke chairman of the Federal Reserve for this poverty increasing rate. He lowered the rate to 0% for you-all the while paying interest on deposits at the Federal Reserve. The effect has been to transfer hundreds of billions to the Wall Street banks from the pockets of senior citizens.

To add insult to injury former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and the U.S. Government have systematically screwed seniors and people with disabilities on Social Security by purposely under estimating the cost of living index-to keep any raises in Social Security as low as possible.The result has been that the cost of living adjustments to Social Security has seriously lagged behind real inflation.

The average Social Security check is $1,074 a month far less than it should be by now.While seniors continue to struggle-Wall Street Bankers are handed billions in free money by Ben Bernanke.

Since 2000 Social Security Benefits have increased less than 2.5% a year while the real cost of living has increased 4 times what the government claims and prices have gone up 8% a year. Because the government doesn't add the cost of inflation to the cost of living increase it remains low screwing Grandma even more.

The Governments view on inflation is when the dollar falls and prices rise simultaneously. One without the other means (to them) there is no inflation. But as we all know-the dollar is flat-but prices have risen-this is our inflation.


Our inflation 101



HUSTLE AND SCREW is the name of the game.

Since 2000 the cost of everyday goods have increased;

unleaded gas-up-24%
heating oil-up-28%

corn-up-50%

wheat-up-48%

Coffee-up-56%

sugar-up-27%

ground beef-up-49%

cotton-up-101%

white bread-up-50%



The way the government decides if Social Security gets an increase is through the CPI or consumer price index which takes the costs of consumer goods for three months and compares them to the previous year.

That would be fine if they took those figures at face value-but for Social Security they add these costs up minus our cost of food and fuel and minus our inflation. They don't count how much services cost like health insurance-medicare premiums-prescriptions-home insurance-car insurance or any other cost that has sky rocketed since 2000. These costs which are unavoidable aren't added to the mix.

Since 2000



What will a twenty buy today ?

Property tax-up-77%

natural gas-up-63%

electricity-up-50%
 Medicare premium-up-143%

The average weekly wage in America in terms of buying power is where it was in the early 1970's.

There used to be a time when the working folks could relay on Grandma or Grandpa for loans to help them make ends meet. That day is long gone-as older and younger people forced to live together are struggling to just survive. While the vultures on Wall Street are buying more investment homes.

Lump of coal for Christmas

H.R.3557 Social Security emergency cost of living increase.

This bill would have given seniors an emergency one time payment of $250 to help cover the fact Social Security received no raise for 2010. Republicans denounced it as yet another give away-

Yet these angels in Congress blessed themselves with another pay raise to the tune of $4,700 - $5,300 each. The House and Congress get an automatic raise each year that they either accept or reject. Apparently they feel the need to cut back only applies to Grandma and the rest of America.

With the increase in medicare part B to new Medicare recipients at a cost of $110.50 a month directly deducted from their checks-this will be the first time in the history of Social Security where an increase is not off set by a raise.

Many who are now eligible are saying no thanks to Medicare. Choosing instead to gamble out of necessity to go with out health care instead sticking with part A-Hospitalization-which does not require a premium.

In 2009 there were 6 million people using food stamps-that number has ballooned to a record breaking 43 million today -with more than 521,000 people added from November to December alone-many elderly or unemployed.

Looks like there won't be a puppy in Granny's stocking this year-she like so many across America will get an EBT card instead.



Merry Christmas Ben Bernanke!


Wonder what Ben Bernanke will get in his.


Merry Christmas


ickenittle

Everyone Hates Bank Of America






Bank Of America twisting in the wind

The Attorney's General of Arizona and Nevada filed a lawsuit against Bank of America accusing it of engaging in "widespread fraud" by misleading customers with "false promises" about their eligibility for mortgage modifications.

Stacks of testimonies filed in state courts complain BOA assured their customers they wouldn't be foreclosed on during the modification process-but the bank lied and did anyway.

BOA is also accused of falsely telling people they had to be in default to qualify for a modification;
of promising modifications would be made permanent if they completed the trial period-only to renege on the deal and later make up bogus reasons for denying modifications.

Catherine Cortez-Masto Nevada's Attorney General said, "Bank of America's callous disregard for providing timely current information for people in their time of need is truly egregious."

A spokesman for Bank of America responded that Bank officials were disappointed that the lawsuits were filed-given the banks cooperation with the investigation.



Bank of America lie manual

 Many Nevada homeowners went through their savings, retirement accounts and children's college funds awaiting modifications only to be turned down-and in one case in Arizona, a couple was told a stop had been placed on the foreclosure and the modification was on the way only to find their house had already been sold.

Former employees have testified the banks training was not geared towards customer service but "to get the customers off the phone in less than ten minutes."

Another employee said the modification staff was "chaotic, understaffed and not oriented toward customers." One employee testified the bank directed them to lie-telling customers they were still in the modification process when in fact they weren't.

It's no surprise Bank Of America rated last nationwide on every home owner experience metric according to the lawsuit, and as Terry Goddard Arizona's Attorney General stated,

" I am filing this lawsuit today because, after years of delay and broken promises,Arizonans should not have to wait any longer to seek redress. Our homeowners and communities need and deserve relief. Bank of America must be held accountable for its deceptive conduct and failed commitments."

Home owners, the 50 states Attorney's General, and bilked investors aren't the only ones angry at Bank of America. Supporters of WikiLeaks-the whistle blower website have said Bank of America has stopped handling transactions for the site- including not processing donations from BOA customers.

WikiLeaks is set to release documents in January that targets a particular big bank. These documents are said to be so damaging to the bank that releasing them will bring it to its knees.

WikiLeaks released this warning on their website;

Does your bank do business with Bank of America? Our advice is to place your funds somewhere
safer.



Americas Banking Turkey

 Is this a warning of disaster to come? Is WikiLeaks telling Bank of America customers to take their money before the bank crashes-as predicted by many sometime in 2011 due to a little insolvency problem.

When a bank becomes insolvent it means it can't pay its debt. It may have assets but if they can't be converted to cash to cover those debts it may as well be bankrupt. And if a bank is in that much trouble then any savings you have over $100,000 isn't covered by the FDIC. They lose-you lose it's as simple as that.

But think on the bright side- at least you will still have some money left.

Where's my foreclosure notice?

Recently attorneys have noticed a strange void in the foreclosure practices of the banks-the lack of high end real estate foreclosure notices going to wealthy defaulters. Defaulting clients are approaching attorneys worried the sheriff will come by to evict them as they haven't heard a peep from the bank.

Some haven't made a house payment in over a year-and in several cases the bank is letting slide payments of $20,000 a month or more. Attorney's are speculating the reasons could be;

That homes once valued at say 5 million are no longer worth 5 million and keeping them on the books at full value keeps the banks asset level higher than it actually is -to pretend they aren't insolvent and keep the government from foreclosing on them. Also, The banks figure it's better to keep non payers in these homes to avoid paying property tax and insurance- which these financial giants can no longer afford.

No matter the reason -it still reeks of favoritism towards the wealthy who default- compared to that of the middle class.



Commercial Foreclosures ahead

Maybe the enormous losses coming from the gated communities- like a compounding snow ball -will finally push them over the cliff.

Maybe the bankers just don't want to ruin the property values in their own neighborhoods.

Or maybe they are stringing everyone along hiding the fact that-

too big to fail already has.

PS-coming soon to a bank near you-major commercial real estate foreclosures.

Look out -this one is gonna be the storm of the century.


ickenittle

Sarah Palin America's Manly Man



Is this the real Sarah?

 Is Sarah Palin the most manly man in America?

She shoots a caribou and clubs a halibut between the eyes on her out-doorsey show 'Sarah Palin's Alaska'. She's a self proclaimed "patriot" rooting out terrorists like Julian Assange comparing him with Al Qaeda- and she slings little Trig around like some modern day cave woman.

Is this the man who would be President? or is this a woman who is simply a narcissist playing a role -speaking the lines from the script written in her head called "I wanna be a superstar."

Many have already looked up "narcissist" in an effort to understand just what makes her tick.There are many articles asking the same thing calling her "self serving" an "opportunist", a hypocrite and a liar who due to her narcissistic tendency of inability to follow a task through completion-is the reason she baled on Alaska serving just half her term.


Definition of Narcissist

(1) person who has grandiose sense of self importance- exaggerates achievements.
* thinks she is qualified to be president.

(2) preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
*simply being 'Sarah' enough qualification to be president.

(3) believes her/she is special and unique and can only be understood by others in his/her category.
*was picked by god to be a leader.

(4) requires excessive admiration.
*always grabbing the spot light.
 

Why is killing fun?

(5) sense of entitlement-expects preferential treatment
*hissy fits,temper tantrums on the McCain campaign

(6) lacks empathy
*kills animals for self promotion on television program

(7) takes advantage of others
*used own children as publicity pawns during campaign

(8) envious or believes others are envious of them *comparing Obama's credentials to hers.

(9) arrogant, haughty in behaviors and attitudes.
*"I'm the Mayer, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't" statement Sarah made while Mayor of Wasilla when questioned about lavish spending on her office.

Anyone can cherry pick a quote or statement to fit the narcissist framework but clearly Sarah the celebrity makes it irresistible-but that persona may be just the script written by somebody else.

In a clip from her TV show Sarah Palin's Alaska on the Learning Channel Network you get glimpse of who the real Sarah might be. Her father is instructing her on when to shoot a passing caribou in the distance. The first shot misses but the second one hits the target and Sarah's says,"When you have a successful hit-it's a great sense of accomplishment."

Later, Sarah and her father field dress the caribou and Sarah says this very telling statement. "To know we have good meat in the freezer for at least part of the year, that is the main thing."

Hmmm-lets think about that last statement.

Sarah Palin is not someone who has to worry about there not being enough meat in the freezer, nor is she someone who must put food on the table by subsistence hunting. She is a very wealthy woman who using this moment to connect with supporters to make them believe she is just one of the guys.

Now that doesn't mean wealthy people can't enjoy hunting for hunting's sake alone. But how many would frame it in such w way as being out of necessity. It's this phony Sarah that's getting old.

How things are misrepresented tells us the truth-when we read between the lines. Sarah Palin appeals to viewers who are watching as if to say "I'm just like you, I know how hard it is to feed a family." In her own manly way she has usurped her husband's role as the family provider- something conservative values promote. But here we see Sarah  proving herself the more manly man.

Big Daddy and lil' Sarah



Big Daddy and Lil' Sarah

 The only man in Sarah's life seems to be her Father-and watching their interactions show Sarah the little girl still struggling to please daddy. He refers to her as "baby" in their interactions together and Sarah seems too eager to please.

It would seem a difficult role to be both pleaser and leader at the same time and it's this aspect that makes Sarah a frightening choice as leader of this nation. We all know there are too many "big daddy's" in control of our leadership.

But you have to hand it to Sarah-she's a far more masculine man than the likes of Mitch McConnell-John Boehnor-Newt Gingrich or Joe Lieberman combined.



The one question itching to be asked is this; "Do you enjoy killing-for killings sake alone?"

All the reasons behind the action just don't wash. If it were true Sarah hunted for the sake of feeding her family one could understand-even if it were for the desire to obtain a rare treat of wild game for her table. But just like hunting wolves from a helicopter as she has -claiming it a necessary evil of population control. You just have to wonder-why are you the one doing the killing-when there are others in place to do such things.

To choose to act as killer when it is unnecessary to do so -is just plain creepy.

To want to kill an animal or human being is entirely different from -to need to kill.

It's this that is so troubling about Sarah Palin. She seems to exploit any circumstance just to get attention, and anything or anyone who gets in her way- becomes fair game.

Sarah Palin would be a very good despot-or tyrant-but not a good president.

PS.inquiring minds have looked up Sarah Palin +Sociopath 853,000 times.

So what does that tell you?



ickenittle 

Rotten Apples Only Ruin The Apple Sauce



Scheme your way to wealth

The head attorney General in the 50 state foreclosure investigation Iowa's Tom Miller told homeowners at risk of foreclosure that he supports a settlement with big banks that requires;

(1) significant principle reductions.
(2) loan modifications
(3) compensation for people defrauded of their homes and
(4) criminal prosecution against big bank executives who broke the law.

This is the first indication that executives who seem to think they are above the law could be held responsible.

Proving fraud is difficult- but not impossible. To prove fraud you have to prove intent to commit fraud and that can be tough-but the good news is this at least will have a few crooked CEO's losing a few nights sleep- but I'm not sure that sharks require sleep.

This is a first of a series of meetings with the states Attorney's General who are on the investigation's executive committee. Participants in the meeting include borrowers who's homes were unjustly foreclosed, ones in danger of foreclosure and community advocates from 15 states.Those participating presented a stack of homeowners testimonies that made it clear that this investigation is the best hope for resetting the housing market and helping millions avoid foreclosure.

The group is staging protests at Wells Fargo's mortgage headquarters in West DesMoines and a branch at Bank of America to highlight a report that shows restoring equity to underwater home owners would cost $73 billion about half of what the banks are expected to hand out in bonuses this year.


Bankster payback?



Where's the note?

Homeowners who are current on their mortgages are finding that merely requesting proof that the bank they are paying is the actual note holder-are finding the banks are reporting to credit agencies like Equifax that the borrower is in dispute of the loan-which effectively lowers their credit score.

The website http://www.wheresthenote.com/ has all the information you need to find out who- if anyone owns your house and don't be too surprised if several entities do-or no one at all.

The Greed Paradigm how'd we get here?

Way back in the 1970's growth slowed and wages stagnated. It took more income to just make ends meet so more women joined the work force. This worked well for awhile-but as prices increased wages didn't -so using credit became the way to increase the standard of living.

People managed that debt pretty well until business shifted from producing goods and services-and found more money to be made on financial products.GM the maker of cars started branching out into investing in Mortgage Backed Securities and cars became just a sideline. As more companies went this route as a new means of income -jobs were wiped out- making the need for available credit more necessary for working people.

As the economy became more finance oriented more things became investments that could be bought and sold. Things like heath care became" financialized" health insurance. Products sold by companies like Best Buy came up with extended warranty policies -another financial product. Even policies known as "dead peasant" insurance were purchased by companies like Walmart where a payout was paid to the corporation when an employee died. They were in effect placing bets on the deaths of their own employees.

As every kind of debt became a financial commodity the payout got bigger on the riskier investments. Banks became casinos that would loan you money then place a bet that you would default-because insurance was in place to cover any losses. Banks could make more money loaning to sub-prime lenders through higher fees. Real estate appraisers were paid to inflate housing values, mortgage brokers got higher fees and credit rating agencies got paid to rate these risky investments with AAA ratings to dupe pension fund investors into believing the investments were sound-and all along everyone knew if all else failed insurers like AIG would pick up the tab.



Imaginary company called MERS

 Banks knew homeowners would would eventually default-they set it up that way from the beginning.  Thanks to Bush & Company Washington changed bankruptcy laws to make it harder to get out of the mortgage debt in preparation of the wave of defaults to come. In order to speed up the foreclosure process banks created MERS in 1997 a foreclosure mill that broke with the centuries old tradition of protecting property rights by requiring every property sale be publicly recorded and any creditor claiming a right to foreclose show proof with a clear title an endorsed note in the creditors name-and a record showing transfer of the property.

But the banks wanted to cut corners and skip the paperwork and avoid paying the counties their recording fees. They also needed to get rid of the paper trail to cover up the fraud. So they called MERS the mortgagee-giving it full power to foreclose. But the banks forgot one thing-they don't make the laws.

While the first sale of a mortgage was recorded properly-the multiple sales of mortgages were not. MERS simply granted anyone who paid a $25 dollar fee a vice presidency as a MERS associate giving them power to foreclose through MERS. Homeowners were no longer able to find out who held their mortgages-as every record showed MERS as the owner.

Although MERS calls itself mortgagee-it in fact is not a real company and has no employees. Not only did banks separate mortgages from notes-they destroyed them. Now no one knows who owns what-and who can foreclose on who.Without a foreclosure moratorium-things will drag out for a long time-even with the investigations by the 50 states Attorneys General. Some have called to legally legitimise MERS to sweep it all under the rug. Legislation is being written to do just this. But watch dog groups are poised to fight and stop the potential legalization of one of the biggest scams in history and preserve the rule of law.

Infectious greed


Free Pass To Slavery


If the financial institutions are infected with the greed paradigm- aren't we as well? A paradigm is just a pattern of thinking that we just accept as reality. If we live in the paradigm of greed where more means better-and unsustainable growth is seen as the only way-then we aren't looking for alternatives.

We aren't thinking of our best interest or the interests of others when we surround ourselves with the trappings of consumerism. All the doohickeys and i-gadgets- does not a life make-and shoveling money into corrupt financial institutions only makes us partners in crime.We are literally financing- financial terrorism. If that seems an extreme statement-just ask the family thrown out on the street with no place to go.

And as long as the penalties for committing a crime are less than the profits made from that crime-there is no incentive for big banks to stop. They will only stop when something makes them.

If banksters were treated like real criminals-and had to do serious jail time for committing fraud.If corporations were given astronomical fines for their illegal activities the corruption would come to a screeching halt. But as long as they continue to create the paradigms in which we all live things will only get worse.



Corporate citizen

 The corporate citizen has no conscience-and lives only to serve its corporation-it only understands money-and the only way to punish it is to take its money away. It understands you better than you understand it. That's why it provides you with easy credit at 21% interest rate.That's why it rewards you with its gift of the credit score-to make you feel worthy to take on more debt.The corporate citizen hands you the rope-then helps you hang yourself.




Thou Shalt Spend

 More is only more-not better

Americans between July and September of this year accumulated 6.5 billion dollars in more debt. Right after the financial crisis people stepped away from the credit card for a brief pause of reflection. Maybe some asked themselves;

"Gee, do I really need that new gadget-when the old one works fine?"

And for that fleeting moment a tiny light bulb flickered oh so faintly-in the reason department of the consumerist's brain. And people stopped spending too much. But once the government gave the green light- announcing the recession was over-the spending engine roared back to life.

If the financial institutions have become gambling casinos-and the American public are gambling addicts-it would be a really good time to invest in rehab centers-where the unemployed could be hired as counselors to teach the addicts how to actually live with less- as they have hands on experience which is better than twenty degrees.

Maybe then a few banking executives might wander in anonymously just to listen-and learn a thing or two.Then they could pass on the message to the depressed CEO's serving time in Federal prisons.



Dream a little dream

  Even though charge cards still charge high interest- dreaming will

always still be free....

until someone figures out a way to charge you for it.


ickenittle

The President That Never Was

Recently Ralph Nader had this to say about President Obama; "He's a con man. I have no use for him." Nader called Obama "opportunistic" and lacking in principles: extending Bush tax cuts is a betrayal to progressive supporters."

The "I have no use for him" statement by Nader seems to be the growing feeling of those progressives and democrats who just two short years ago praised what seemed to be the new face of hope and Obama seemed the "anti-Bush." solution to all gone awry by the abuse of power brought on by the Bush-Cheney regime.


To many of his supporters the "hope and Change" mantra has become nothing more than empty words like some cheap political slogan designed more sell bumper stickers than anything else. Just being reminded of "hope and Change leaves some of us with a bad taste in our mouths and many feel bamboozled by a slick con-man who is less about change and more about the same.



Repulicrat or Demolican?

Some feel we have all been scammed by a smooth talking elitist who walked like a Statesman and talked like a Progressive but was really  a corporatist in disguise.

Maybe that's far fetched on the part of some-who are frustrated by this President's constant cave- ins to Republican demands.Maybe too some are beginning to see that the two party system is actually a hoax.

The giant duopoly monster-where their are two heads saying opposing things each to appeal to their side-but sharing one beating heart kept on life support thanks to the too- big -to- fail institutions and corporate cartels.


Former supporters speak out

"Obama is a corporate shill. He talks like FDR-he walks like Marie Antoinette."

"Obama proves himself to be characterless at every turn.

"Let the search for a primary opponent begin. It's time to do battle against"centrist"( i.e.far right) President Barack Bush, and may the most honest man or woman win.

"Obama has shown himself unwilling or incapable of challenging the entrenched power structures that are driving us off the cliff."

"President Obama and the Republicans urge extending all the Bush tax cuts.This sentence perfectly defines the great fraud that is the Obama administration."

"As Obama has said himself this proves that both parties can, in fact work together to grow our economy and look out for the American people...it's true, when one party abjectly capitulates to the other."

"This isn't even about tax cuts for millionaires anymore-too many have spoken up saying we don't need this tax cut-what this is about starving the beast (government) creating tax shortfalls that will cause severe cuts in Social Security, Medicare and everything else-it isn't about making Billionaires happy."


Obama's disapproval rating amongst his supporters has doubled after announcing cutting a deal with Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts- something many see as the final straw. To add insult to injury Obama called out progressives as being "sanctimonious" in their political positions.



Is Obama a Trojan horse?

 "It is obvious that the bold,sharp, progressive Obama is a thing of the past, a memory of the 2008 campaign season."

"I feel cheated and duped...I don't know really what to think anymore."

Though people understand no president can represent the needs of just one group- Obama seems to have a particular dis-like for those who elected him.

It is this aspect that has left people questioning his integrity an many have called him a Republican Trojan horse-who was simply merchandised as "brand Obama" that the powers- that- be- knew they could control. Whatever people believe no matter how extreme or conspiratorial one thing remains clear-the people who donated money-worked his campaign and rallied around him have lost faith- and who can blame them?

"We are angry because he treats us with disdain, shuts us out of the process, and trusts the propaganda from the right-wing media and corporations more than he trusts the people who put him into office.We are angry because he won't stand up for what we believe in-because he continues many of the the worst policies of the Bush administration. We are angry because he compromises his position before the bargaining begins."

As angry as progressives are at the Obama administration-there are rumblings of dissent going on in the Tea Party. Republicans like Democrats have turned a deaf ear in the direction of supporters. This could be a good sign that may predict coming change-if neither side is happy then no one is- and we have a lot more in common when the common theme is-we're all getting screwed.


See now you have something to talk to your teabagger or lefty neighbor about!




"Did you hear about that Big Bank?"



Just don't tell your Democrat or Republican friends....

they are still in denial.



ickenittle

Traitor Joe and the Espionage Act

Senator Joe Lieberman  has invoked the 1917 Espionage Act and is urging its use to nail WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Lieberman went further to invoke it to investigate The New York Times for publishing some of the leaked cables from WikiLeaks.

Espionage Act-

In 1917 Woodrow Wilson trying to find a way around the first Amendment to silence critics prior to World War One came up with the Espionage Act. Before then ordinary people and folks like teachers, journalists and publishers were speaking out against the war under their first amendment right of free speech.

Under the Espionage Act thousands of people were rounded up and detained-questioned and many imprisoned -some to long prison sentences for speaking out against the war. Under the Act speech become criminalized if it was found to be subversive. It prohibits any attempt to interfere with military operations. Since it is so vaguely written practically anything can be determined subversive-or anti government.

The Espionage Act made it a crime; to give information with the intent to interfere with the operations or services of the armed forces while at war-or promote the successes of its enemies.The penalty for such acts could be death or no more than a 30 year prison sentence-depending on the severity of the crime. Also included: to convey false reports or statements, to interfere with military operations-to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty-this was punishable by a fine of $10,000-or imprisonment of no more than twenty years-or both.

Later in 1918 The Sedition Act was added as an amendment which was more far reaching which included speech deemed disloyal, profane,or scurrilous. This was later repealed in 1921 but the original Espionage Act remains to this day.

How Secret is Secret?

In the 1990's senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan criticised the Act saying it created a "culture of secrecy"  noting the tendency of bureaucracies to enlarge their powers by increasing the scope of what it held secret.

Moynihan investigated this question in 1997 with the Moynihan Commission on Government Secrecy.The bi- partisan commission found -that secrecy is a form of government regulation- that excess secrecy has significant consequences to the national interest when policy makers are not fully informed-that Government is not held accountable for its actions and the public cannot engage fully in informed debate.

Moynahan reported that approx. 400,000 new secrets are revealed each year at the Top Secret level-and disclosure of any one would cause, as determined by law,"exceptionally grave damage to the national security." So when you rate too many secrets as Top Secret-even though they may be old worn out secrets you can- if you so choose  indite someone with the Espionage Act for revealing it. And in the case of the Wiki Leaks witch hunt-Senator Joe Lieberman wants to do just that- to find a way to have Julian Assange charged with espionage-even though he is not an American citizen. When government must find a way digging through old laws-creating new ways to apply those laws in order to charge someone with a crime-then no one is safe.


We'll make you safe whether you like it or not.

Under the guise of national security government mice are nibbling away our democracy cheese. As Thomas Jefferson said "An informed citizenry is vital to the functioning of a Democratic society."
Are the contents of the Wiki Leaks cables more dangerous that the Governments reaction to them?


Where's the Anti-America Here?


WikiLeaks describes itself as a "public service designed to protect whistle blowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public." they ague that principled leaking has changed the course of history for the better." They state its purpose is to promote transparency in government and fight corporate fraud by publishing information governments or corporations would prefer to keep secret.



Evil Minds Create Evil Laws

 Traitor Joe and his treacherous ways

In the Spring of 2010 Lieberman proposed a bill that would strip Americans of their citizenship if accused of being involved with foreign terrorist organizations. The law would have allowed the state department to determine-on its own-if you were conspiring with terror groups and should be stripped of your citizenship.

The act of conspiring using a "disloyalty" clause would have made it possible for people to lose their citizenship based on what the state department deemed disloyal. Even though the burden of proof would be placed on them- just imagine the implications for those caught in the sights of the Joe Lieberman's of the world- where the act of being charged is really as bad as being convicted. Minds like Lieberman's create fear and suspicion to the point of paranoia and empower the Orwellian idea of a thought police state-where disloyalty becomes a crime which cannot be clearly defined.


The Three Little Patriot Pigs

Sarah Palin-Bill O'Reilly and Lieberman purposely distort fact from fiction. Sarah Palin speaking about Wikileak's Julian Assange had this to say; "Assange is an anti-American operative with blood on his hands." And Sarah asks, "Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al Qada and Taliban leaders?"



 Bill O'Reilly has gone a step further to declare Assange a traitor who should be executed. Forget the fact that Assange isn't a terrorist and even the Pentagon has admitted no one in the armed services has come to any harm related to any of the leaked cables-Sarah and Bill continue to crow- demanding attention be drawn to themselves as they "huff and they puff" to blow democracy in- Along with it the presumption of innocence......until proven guilty.


Don't be poking this Tiger

What are the opponents of Wikileaks so afraid of and why? It seems the opposition has proven more harmful than anything released and all the fuss and brouhaha has done more damage to the credibility of this government by its clumsy attempts at control. For every attack by the Government to shut down wikileaks they have provoked a counter attack by hackers world wide. And attempts to close one door of information only outrages the population which then opens twenty windows of mirror sites enabling the flow of information to continue. The American government has poked a stick in the eye of a tiger-and that tiger is growing stronger-and that tiger is those who demand  freedom of  information.

Joe Lieberman has called the New York Times a "bad Citizen" for publishing some of the WikiLeaks cables and in Joe the traitor's mind we should be more like China-where a government has complete and total control of the Internet and as he says "Right now China, the government can disconnect parts of its Internet in case of war and we need to have that here too."

To prove his admiration towards China- Joe has put together a nice piece of legislation called -S.3480 Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act. Complete with a "kill switch" provision written in where the government could force Internet firms including search engines and broadband providers to "immediately comply" when the government says "shut er down." But there is an upside-they can only keep it down- no more than 120 days.

Iceland is currently suing Visa and MasterCard for denying its customers the right to spend their own money on donations to WikiLeaks.This is clearly the merger of State and a Corporate entity -where Government and corporations working in tandem can decide what we can and cannot do with our own money.


Maybe if we all chip in we buy old Joe McCarthy Lieberman a one way ticket to China.

Here's my twenty bucks.

And I bet he could get a good job in China's

National Congress of People's Deputies.

Deputy Joe...Now that has a nice ring to it.

Doncha think? Just ask Bill or Sarah.


ickenittle

Don't Look Behind Door Number Three





 Shock and Awe



 During a crisis as in the current recession cold blooded authorities use a process called the shock doctrine to pass unpopular laws while the public is distracted.

Door Number One

George Bush used this approach after 911 to push through the Patriot Act. Which as we are finding out is really about the watering down of rights such as privacy-free speech and habeas corpus- where the government can hold a person indefinitely without due process if considered an enemy combatant. When new laws get pushed through, and opposing view points are silenced we are heading down the road to a police state.

Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine talks about "disaster capitalism" how the powerful moneyed elites capitalise on disasters while people are in shock to pass unpopular economic policies in order to create a "new" free market ideal-by destroying the old one. Feel that tingle of familiarity?

Deep budget cuts in social services while maintaining a bloated military is a standard shock doctrine tactic as communities get broken up and people get separated. Things like cutting education and destroying middle class security further concentrates wealth and power. Bush's $700 billion dollar bailout forced on Congress using scare tactics is a prime example.





The attempt to pass HR 3808 which could have legitimized robo signing making the illegal practice of foreclosure fraud suddenly legal. Would have made it impossible for average Americans to fight back against the mortgage servicers and Big Banks who have plundered the American dream. Free to plunder enterprise has replaced the free enterprise system-where rules don't apply-and anything goes.


Door Number Two


The TSA body scanners is another Shock Doctrine technique. travelers now are forced to under go body scanning or intrusive "pat downs" before boarding a flight. Refusal of theses measures means you don't get to board the plane and "resistors" are treated like criminals and subject to an $11,000 dollar fine. Some are suggesting Americans are being tested to see how much we can be pushed around by so called "authority" figures.



 We can look to Europe to see our own coming future with austerity measures being put in place.They will not be called austerity measures here -conservative double talkers will give it a positive feel good description like"healthy economy creation" to conceal the reality-and increase the gap further between rich and poor.

Currently many states are talking about opting out of Medicaid which could prove catastrophic for elderly people in nursing homes-What will become of them when there is no money for their care? Corporate media is already selling the idea that Medicaid is a wasteful expense in a story of one case where some Medicaid recipients allegedly sold prescriptions to drug dealers.

The outpouring of rage by the right wing to condemn Medicaid using this example-is just another manufactured exaggeration to undermine Medicaid that so many helpless people need-the elderly, the disabled and children.


Lie lie lie..some more.

The biggest lie to the American public has been the lie of trickle down economics.Republicans holding unemployed people hostage in their black mail scheme to get the Bush tax cuts extended another two years shows their loyalty not to the American people but the corporations who own them.

President Obama seemingly between a rock in a hard place consistently caves in under Republican pressure. The hope and Change mantra has become one of disappointment and bewilderment by progressives who fought so hard to get him elected. In his unflinching determination to compromise Obama's base is dropping like flies.

Big Sister is Watching

Coming soon to a Walmart near you from the Department of Homeland Security will be a video of Janet Nepolitano asking shoppers to keep a watchful eye out for suspicious activity.

Part of  the See Something-Say -Something Program The video features Napolitano saying, " if you see something suspicious in the parking lot or in the store, say something immediately. Report suspicious activity to your local police or sheriff. If you need help ask a Walmart manager for assistance."

Nepalitano however doesn't explain what constitutes suspicious activity.The program is designed to keep Americans vigilant and play an active roll in keeping the country safe. Is this another manipulation as in TSA body scanners-to test our willingness to accept more intrusion.


The message seems to say stay fearful and could mean - stay distracted-because we are about to drop some bad legislation we know you will hate and this is our little shock doctrine trick to make you look the other way. Perhaps Americans need to watch-with a vigilant eye -what congress is up to.

The video's will be popping up not only at your local Walmart but -shopping centers, public transit stations, Amtrak stations and Hotels. Making us all unwitting contributors in the growing paranoia.

Critics are calling this the beginning of a police state where greater pressure will be placed on Americans to bend further to authority's will all under the lie of public safety.

While we are busy watching each other another group of terrorists are going about their daily plunder and you will find no homeland security there- in the lobbies of the too-big-to-fail banks-or the Federal Reserve and the Wall Street hangouts where the suicide money bombers plan their next attack.

Will a vigilant eye be cast in the direction of Health Insurers who continue to conduct terror on the sick by raising premiums-or refusing to cover life saving treatment? Will that watchful gaze of protection come to the aid of those made homeless by the fraudclosure practices of the banks? White collar terrorism doesn't involve bombs or blood or mayhem-it's a death by slow starvation.

Door Number Three





What will be behind this door only the future will tell- but don't be surprised if it's severe austerity measures and new definitions as what is a threat to National Security. Gaze into Europe's crystal ball for some predictions and hunker down where you can-and look forward to more insane and extreme ideas coming from our lovely leaders-who have brilliantly succeeded in failing us so very well.

Because failure has become the new success.


P.S. At least you have yet another reason for not shopping at Walmart.


Definition of terrorism; The systematic use of terror as a means of coercion-forcing another to behave in an involuntary manner-by use of threats-intimidation-pressure-or force.

Apply this definition to the behavior of our Government-and the Banking Cartel.


 Maybe we should all grab a Walmart manger and report the real terrorists.





Obama now cuts deals with terrorists



ickenittle