A BANDAGE FOR A TUMOR?

A tumor has been festering in American society and the cure is not a bandage. There are those among us who want to sacrifice the populace on the alter of Wall Street. This disease wants to ensure that: banks aren't regulated; oil companies have unfettered access to anyplace; environmental concerns are trashed; profit is king.

This disease has no use for social programs. The elderly are a burden. The poor are a burden. The sick are a burden. The raped are a burden. Workers are merely tolerated as a tool to exploit.

Yes, Congress passed a temporary budget. But we know that this bandage will not cure the illness. Americans have to decide who and what we are as a nation. And, while all are entitled to their opinions and beliefs, the 'minority report' is not the dictum to the whole. The next election will determine if we want this nation to go into cardiac arrest, or, if we strengthen through exercise and due diligence.

Who Benefits From the Chaos in Washington?

"Who benefits" has become my favorite question. Who benefits from the government shutdown? Who would benefit from not raising the debt ceiling? Who benefits from not compromising? Who benefits from the farce we call Congress?

We know that the right/Tea Party has gambled that they could blame the funding crisis on Obama. We also know that more moderate Republicans went for the ride until they began to see the ship sink and public opinion turn against them. We know that the Democrats and the President have caved all to often and that they felt that if they didn't stand up, for once, that they would hurt their 2014 chances. But, is there a group that transcends this pettiness and gains no matter what happens?

While some vocal business interests have complained about this Beltway fiasco, one can't help but wonder why the monied interests are largely publicly silent. Yes, their henchmen, Tea Party, are quite vocal, but why would they support what could become economic chaos? Who benefits from such chaos? Who benefited from the 2008 Recession and is still making record profits? Who always comes out ahead when their are perceived economic problems? What is their real agenda? Who actually profits from negative conditions such as war, famine, disease, and economic collapse?

The decisions in Washington are not made by the politicians. Strings are being pulled and the puppeteer laughs all the way to the ....

HOW STUPID!

From the BBC:
"The Italian government's borrowing cost has risen as fears grow over political uncertainty in Rome.

The yield on Italian 10-year bonds rose from 6.37% to a euro-era high of 6.64%, before retreating to 6.53%.

It is feared that Italy, the eurozone's third biggest economy, could become the next victim of the debt crisis"

If you are having a minor problem paying your bills, and investors then UP your interest rate, won't you have a big problem?

Why are we letting investors control and dominate public policy? Isn't this what happened to the housing market. Loan at low rates to iffy customers and then raise interest rate later leading to foreclosure. These 'investors' are doing the same thing to nations. What is there real agenda? Why are they trying to force defaults and punishing the poor and working classes? Why are they 'nation busting?'

THE POWER OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Despite all of the power of mega-corporations like Exxon, Citibank and the barons of Wall Street, they cannot turn the economy around. Despite all of the trillions of dollars that governments are pouring into bailouts, they cannot jump start the economy. All fingers are pointing to one ‘savior,’ consumer confidence.

For generations, consumers have been told, and they believed, that they were at the mercy of the rich and powerful. They created products and told the consumers it was what they needed and the consumer, like lambs led to the slaughter, followed their dictates and spent untold billions. When the cash ran out, the powerful created their own money, called credit, and enabled the consumer to spend money they did not have, thus indebting them to an endless cycle of ‘buy now, pay later.’ When the bills finally came due, the system collapsed because credit is not real money. Using what money is left in the system; governments have given billions to help Wall Street recover their losses. They have also promised billions to extend more credit to the consumer, using consumer money to cover the bill. To the surprise of economic pundits, consumers are still not spending. Why, because they lack confidence. The implications of this one simple fact are astounding.

The simple truth is this, consumers have always had the power to control the economy and their future, and they were simply convinced otherwise. Those in power knew the “Secret,” while the consumer believed that there was no secret. It was simply the way things worked. Power and money, so they were convinced, were invincible. As the consumer believed, it was given unto them. Form, followed thought and the reality created was the result of accepting the beliefs of others. Books such as THE SECRET, JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EALY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION, THE MASTER KEY SYSTEM, THINK AND GROW RICH, WAKING GOD and many others have been hammering the message of the Law of Attraction and the fundamental truth as taught by Jesus and Buddha and Mohammad and all great spiritual leaders, …”as thou hast believed, so it be done unto thee.”

So what does it mean, as implied at the Davos Economic Conference, that “consumer confidence” is the real power behind the throne? Consumer confidence is merely a state of mind in which the consumer believes that all is well. It means that the consumer believes that there is a reasonable expectation that the economic system is functioning properly; that bills will get paid; that products are worth buying; and, that they will be able to pay for purchases without any undue hardship. This is why all of the bailout will not work. Consumers are no longer confident in the system and as they believe, so it follows that the system will not work. Let’s face it, for decades consumers have bought poor quality products; products that were dangerous; products that were destroying the planet; products made for slave wages and by child labor; and, products it really did not at all need. It was foretold that “all that is hidden, will be revealed.” This prophecy is coming true as the consumer now has a clearer understanding of an economic system that has kept in financial bondage.

What does this all mean? Quite simply, the consumer can now create a new economic reality. Here is my list that will renew my consumer confidence and get me buying again:
1) Produce products that are safe and totally environmentally friendly.
2) Produce products of high quality and workmanship.
3) Produce products in which fair wages are paid for the work and which are not produced at the expense of children, woman or minorities.
4) Produce products that are necessary and truly useful and not just a bunch of junk.
5) End the practice of charging usurious interest rates for credit and stop those ridiculous fees if you are a day late.
6) Help people get caught up with bills rather than trying to drive them deeper into debt. We have forgiven billions in debt of foreign nations; why not do the same for consumers?
7) Make products that are safe and that are healthy. Stop adding addictive substances to food and chemicals that that are poisoning out children.
8) Stop brainwashing consumers with the endless barrage of misleading commercials.
9) Be honest!
This is my short list and each could be turned into a book. But what must be understood is that consumers have the power. No matter what news you listen to it should be quite evident that the words, “consumer confidence” are the key to economic recovery. However, the economic powers would like you to return to ‘business as usual.’ I do not believe that this will happen; it cannot happen if we want our children to have a planet to live on.