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Another Great Day for Democracy

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The somber bankers shuffle into the finance ministers office. "Mr. Finance Minister, I'm afraid that with this countries balance sheet we have no other choice other than to raise our interest rate."

"How can this be?" The minister protests, "Interest rates are ridiculously low right now. If you raise your lending rate we will be pushed further into debt. We create this money and give it to you for free and now you use it to push us off of a cliff!"

"No,no,no, it's not like that at all Mr. Finance Minister you just need to balance your books, that way we can easily cover our massive profits, I mean, your added lending costs. Perhaps, if you were to cut entitlements?"

"No, I couldn't do that! That would be morally and ethically wrong. Forcing older workers to stay in the job market will make our unemployment problem even worse!"

"It's either that or raise taxes on the rich Mr. Finance Minister!"

"You're right! We must cut entitlements."


New York Times - "Mr. Sarkozy said strikers and demonstrators blocking fuel depots did not have the right to "take hostage people who have nothing to do with it." He was referring to 10 straight days of strikes at refineries and blockades of fuel depots that have left motorists struggling to find fuel."

Yes, he was referring to 10 days of strikes not to the millions of workers who have nothing to do with financial turmoil but who are being asked to bear its cost. It has been widely reported that Mr. Sarkozy's plan will raise the retirement age from 60 to 62 while this is true, it is inaccurate, because it will also raise the age for a full retirement from 65 to 67. This emphasis on the 60 to 62 number is designed to stifle sympathy for the worker and evoke anger in this country.

American workers most always get the gooey end of the stick, so, many of these Americans feel that others should get the gooey end of the stick as well, just because we do. The French pay five to ten percent more in taxes than average American's and they get, a higher minimum wage, full national healthcare, five weeks paid vacation and a 35 hour work week. The elderly in America can enroll in Medicare at age 65 the French get it on the day that they are born!

Many Americans feel this way because of newspapers like the New York Times. The Times takes a story about public outrage and turns it into a story about governmental authority and fuel shortages. Newspapers like the Times which parse their words very carefully do so as to achieve the desired outcome and are no different than Fox News only with a patina of dignity. Newspapers like the Times which shill for the banks and the powerful and are the reason that newspapers are dying in this country and the reason that they should be euthanized.

Mr. Sarkozy said, "troublemakers will not have the last word in a democracy, a republic. It is not acceptable," he said. "They will be stopped, tracked down and punished, in Lyon and anywhere else, with no weakness. Because in our democracy, there are many ways to express yourself. But violence is the most cowardly, the most gratuitous, and that is not acceptable."

Mr. Sarkozy does have a flair for irony, he condemns violence in a democracy but threatens to use it against those who protest against his governments undemocratic plan which is wildly unpopular amongst the people. Sarkozy has the dynamic all wrong, the people have a right to be wrong but the government has no such right. The government has a responsibility to listen to the people while the people are under no such reciprocal agreement.

"For in a republic, who is "the Country"? Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them. Who, then, is "the Country"? Is it the newspaper? is it the pulpit? Is it the school superintendent? Why, these are mere parts of the country, not the whole of it; they have not command, they have only their little share in the command. They are but one in a thousand; it is in the thousand that command is lodged; they must determine what is right and what is wrong; they must decide who is a patriot and who isn't." Mark Twain

It is just one more domino and one more nasty telegram from the banks. Give us more money or we will ruin your economy. Iceland, Greece, Spain and France, you see, there is this wild west bonanza going on back east.

The International Monetary Fund forecasts annual world economic growth at 4.6 percent. The expected annual growth rate for the US economy is a sickly 2.6 percent, in France that growth rate is only 1.5 percent the same as Japan. In China however, the annual forecast for growth is 8 to 10 percent. Chinese Real Estate values are going sky high and with no end in site. Now, if you're an international banker borrowing money from the Federal Reserve do you want to invest in French bonds and miss the big party in China?

Lending in China was $89 billion in September, a full 11 percent over the governments target. The Chinese government this week raised interest rates in hopes of cooling this lending down, but it can't. With huge profits to be made in Asia and a flat line economy in America and Europe why would bankers want to lend money to stodgy old France or Iceland? Its like being forced to go to your frumpy cousin Wanda's party instead of the cool kids party. If I'm forced to go, I'm raising interest rates to offset what I'm losing by missing the cool party in China.

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I who am I? Born at the pinnacle of American prosperity to parents raised during the last great depression. I was the youngest child of the youngest children born almost between the generations and that in fact clouds and obscures who it is that (more...)
 

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