Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
When the New York Stock Exchange opened on Monday stocks began to plunge. This was due to the credit downgrade America received on Friday – and the economic chaos in Europe. Then Washington’s favorite game, the blame game, began in earnest on Monday morning. Not wanting to accept the blame themselves those in power have, not surprisingly, blamed the Tea Party Movement for their own … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
In politics, it is called the ‘gel’ moment. It happens when thousands
of little dots floating around in American voters’ minds all connect to
create an image. In political terms, a ‘brand’ gets locked in and can
be almost unshakable.
For former Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, it was a
picture of him sitting in an army tank with an over-sized helmet. For
President George Bush, … Read more...
By Les Dunaway
Well, it happened. Just as the warnings foretold. When will there be some sign of adult behavior in Washington? During the debt cap discussions, the rating companies wrote to the President, the Senate and the House and pointed out that just raising the debt cap would not prevent a rating downgrade. Think about it! Would you see it as positive if your dead-beat neighbor bragged to you … Read more...
About 4 trillion dollars of additional debt was added to the amount of debt owed by The Treasury during the 8 years of the George W. Bush Presidency.More than another 4 trillion have been added during the two years of the Obama “presidency”.There is an important factor that makes a big difference in those two 4 trillion dollar amounts.
… Read more...One of our many problems is that we must have the gumption, the will and the courage to do something constructive about the immediate situation in order to make constructive changes to the longer term trajectory. There is no way to cause that to be a painless proposition. When aggregate expectations are at, say, 10, but the aggregate national capability set that is needed to meet and satisfy the expectations … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
How did the United States Congress ever allow the government of the United States to reach a point where a financial crisis could seriously jeopardize America’s financial creditability if the debt limit is not raised by August 2, 2011? This current scenario is politics at its worst – and at its best.
Politics at its worst because the politicians have allowed this crisis to happen … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
No one knows just how the current federal debt crisis is going to play
out. Anyone who says they do, probably knows the least.
The polling numbers for everyone involved are horrible. Sixty-seven
percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong
direction. Forty-eight percent of Americans disapprove of President
Barack Obama’s performance as President. Seventy-three percent
disapprove of the job Congress is doing. … Read more...
By Tom Kiser
This may fall into the category of kibbitzing about a technicality that no one cares about, but the United States Federal Government, as the issuer of our fiat money, cannot collect amounts of that same money and hold the money for future use. If money is collected regardless of by what method then the money must be spent near-real time, regardless of for what purpose, else the … Read more...
By J. Randolph Evans
The federal debt is over $14 TRILLION. How big is it?
$14 TRILLION.
To just count to $14 trillion, like 1, 2, 3, and so on, would take
448,000 years.
$14 TRILLION.
That is over $46,000 for every person in the United States (which is as
much as the average person working actually makes in an entire year –
$46,326); for a family of four, it … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
Two weeks ago America celebrated the 235th anniversary of the adoption of America’s Declaration of Independence. That was the day America’s ‘Tree of Liberty’ was planted. That tree grew and blossomed, sending our sweet fragrants of freedom around the world. Within fifty years America had become a beacon of freedom, a light of freedom sitting on the hill for all those then living under tyranny. … Read more...
By Les Dunaway
The recession was pronounced “over” in June 2009 – two years ago – and we still have no real recovery and millions of people out of work. What’s going on? A series of charts from Market Watch gives some of the picture [read].
Well, mostly what’s happening is that the historical engine of job growth – start-up business – is sputtering, dragged down by the … Read more...
Observations©
By Donald S. Conkey
Last Monday, July 4th, I, along with most of you either watched or participated in the several local parades here in Cherokee County that celebrated the birth of America on July 4, 1776. I also watched the annual tribute to America held on the mall in Washington D.C. And as I watched these celebrations I wondered if today’s generation fully understands the