THE GOOD, BAD, & THE UGLY!
September 10, 2004
So, 9-11 (2nd anniversary) has come and gone without any attacks on our Homeland. Something is being done right because you’ve got to know UBL and crew would love to nail us again, and they haven’t.
Seeing America come together as a nation and a people, watching the kids sing at ground zero, and seeing people pray brings back memories about what our nation is all about. Seeing people speak well of one another is refreshing as well. It makes you feel GOOD to be an American.
All of the above is from this side of the Atlantic. In Iraq our troops are still coming under attack. A convoy was shelled, and while no one was killed, several vehicles were destroyed. Iraq remains a very BAD place.
At the UGLY end of things, it’s reported that America is once again exporting our culture. Porno movies are now in style in Baghdad. For 1,000 Iraqi dinars (50 cents), the locals can now watch pornographic movies at numerous theatres. Under Saddam, such an event could get you a death sentence.
I guess you have to take the GOOD with the BAD in life, but why the UGLY also?
PS. Reliant Energy is making repairs and we’ll be without power, e-mail, internet until Saturday afternoon. More then. 
ON THIS ANNIVERSARY DATE
September 9, 2004
America may be where Hollywood is situated but not all of the ’show-stoppers’ are produced on the West coast. Wednesday, UBL let the world know that he’s more than just an audio tape. The TV channels played and replayed UBL walking, sitting, and pondering the universe, supposedly from the mountains of Pakistan or Afghanistan. The video won’t get any awards at the Oscars next year, but it did make an impact on Wall Street!
But, the point was made, UBL is still here America! In your face Bush! Whle the video was being played and replayed, a story broke that once again, ABC News smuggled in a shipment of depleted uranium right under the noses of our governmental agencies.
Hey, that’s no big deal! People walk across the Mexican border every second. People drive across the Canadian border every hour. Who knows how many come via boat or air? Our borders (the definition of which no one knows) are as porous as a fish net. Now that California is going to give away drivers licenses to illegals, we’ve really moved into defacto citizenship.
Do I feel safer on the anniversary of year two? Yes. Do I feel that we can, and will be attacked (big time) again, soon. Yes. Will there be a catastrophic event on 9-11 (03). We’ll know for sure when the clock strikes midnight.
THE DEBATE IS OVER- JURY IN!
September 8, 2004
For the past 2-3 years the question has been which stone would kill us: deflation or inflation? And, until recently deflation led the way. Deflation became the chief concern of Alan Greenspan and we all know how he overdoes everything.
The jury has just rendered it’s decision: INFLATION by a unanimous decision. Now, old Greenie may not know of the decision but he will soon. Besides, inflation is really the only option for Greenspan. He has already been accused of defeating one Bush for a second term presidency. He sure doesn’t want to make it two!
We are seeing some of the most staggering deficits in history. When you add the $87 billion for Iraq, we’re looking at our government of having to come into the market in the months ahead and borrow (via selling bonds) hundreds of billions of dollars. The price will not be cheap as long term bond rates have sky-rocketed.
Commodities are soaring. In particular gold is flying high and headed higher. Alan is printing so much money that the U.S. and the world is awash in US$’s. Long-term rates will continue to climb killing off the real estate bubble.
Alan is committed to keeping short term rates at historic levels until Bush is re-elected and then you’ll see them sky-rocket. My assessment is that Bush and company will do whatever it takes to get re-elected and then use those last four years to bring the needed discipline back into the market place. Can you say “recession”?
Anyway, for now and as far as I can see, INFLATION is on the rise. Watch the PPI and CPI each month and all commodities for confirmation.
ESTROGEN MUST SUBMIT!
September 7, 2004
I have been saying for almost two years now that the War on Terrorism is really a RELIGIOUS WAR! It’s not politically correct to say that, so I know that Bush is hemmed in.
But, I can afford to be politically UN-correct, so here’s the facts jack. All of the nineteen terrorists were Muslims. Saddam is a Muslim, UBL is a Muslim, and all the nations of the Mideast (except Israel) are Muslim nations. Can you name any terrorists that are of the Hindu faith? Buddhist?
In many ways Islam sees the West, and particularly America, much like Christians see Satan: the arch-enemy! Islam sees OUR culture invading their turf, coming over their airwaves, showing up in movies, and being adorned in clothes (or lack thereof). America is the smut-exporting capital of the world whether we want to admit it or not.
I can’t really blame Islam for detesting our cultural war on their beliefs. MTV is not selling music, they’re selling SEX! But, there’s a thread that runs through this tapestry of culture wars that’s really at the heart of these clashing cultures- SEXES!
It’s not so much sex but a concept OF the sexes. You see, the West is importing a culture of women who are FREE which goes directly against Islamic teachings, where women are slaves, dogs, second-class citizens. Just take a look at where women stood on the “civil-chart” of the Taleban in Afghanistan and you get the picture.
War on terrorism? Some. A war of cultures as to the “standing” of women in life? You bet! And for Islam, estrogen must bow their head, knee, and life!
PS. Where would we be in America if women could not even drive a car, as is the law in Saudi Arabia? Doesn’t work in my household!
WHATEVER THE PRICE!
September 6, 2004
To the Nine Dwarfs who took the New Mexico Democratic debate time to trash the president and demand that he tell the American public what the war was going to cost and how many troops we’ll need, the president obliged Sunday night. The cost for the next year will be $87 billion and the 130,000 current troop level is enough. So there!
And, he’s going to the United Nations to put them back on the defensive in September. His speech there will be a bit more pointed.
The debate now begins in earnest. Congress is back in session and the jawboning will be hot-n-heavy. One thing you can say about Bush though is that he’s no shrinking violet. We’re in Iraq until the job is done: U.N. or no U.N. We’re in Iraq regardless of the price. We’re there because to not be there taking on the terrorists in Baghdad and Tikrit would mean we’d need to take them on in New York and Washington, D.C.
So, gentlemen: and members of Congress, start your engines! We’re off to the fall races. Oh yes, and if there are any more cars who want in the race, it’s time to get to the START line asap. Got that Wesley Clark, Hillary?
THE ECONOMIC BIG PICTURE-
September 4, 2004
Instead of getting the estimated 12,000+ new non-farm payroll job increases last month, more than 90,000 jobs were cut. What was not said though was that a couple hundred thousand just “gave-up” on getting a job. So, with that little accounting maneuver, the actual total unemployment dropped from 6.2% to 6.1%. So, be you a BEAR or a BULL, you got good news to spin.
But, there’s a much BIGGER picture out there. Remember that word- globalization? And then there’s the philosopher who said, “No man is an island.” The top three economies in the world are struggling to stay afloat.
Numer three, Germany, is moving headlong into a recession. Number two, Japan, has been in a recession for 20 years or breaking it down into smaller bites, Japan is on it’s fifth recession in the last 12 years. Then there’s the home cooking, the number one economy in the world. The good old USA is sending so many jobs to China that one day China will be in that top three.
And check this out. All three economies are running the largest deficits in history while enjoying the lowest interest rates in history. What will it be like as interest rates begin to rise? You don’t want to know.
Looking just at the number one economic engine (really the key to it all), there are warning signs everywhere you look and gold keeps marching to new highs (confirming the mess). There’s no way that the number one economic power-house can run a half trillion trade deficit and add another half trillion annually to the federal deficit (as we are) and not have BIG troubles.
Bush must go before Congress soon and ask for another $50-$75 billion just for Iraq. The Fed must go into the bond market and sell some $400 billion in the fourth quarter and that’s not going to sit well with anyone.
So, Bush will give a televised speech Sunday evening and tell us just how things are really going in Iraq and why we need to spend billions more there. Stay tuned!
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK…
September 3, 2004
Divisions, sectarianism, partisan politics, acrimonious rhetoric, and out right ugliness, that’s what we see everywhere you look.
In the Senate, the Democrats are holding nomination after nomination hostage. Miguel Estrada finally threw in the towel and said forget about it. Seems as though two years of wrangling was enough for him. They can take the appointment and shove it. Bush is mad and the Democrats and saying, “no mas”.
Here in Texas, the Senate Democrats are still in New Mexico, less Whitmire. Maybe those we elected to represent us will come back home and do what they’re being paid for soon. Maybe not. The Senate chamber in Texas is a mess.
The French and the Germans are happy to be able to tell Bush NO, again! The initial word out on the new proposed UN resolution isn’t good enough for the French or Germans. Can’t imagine why.
In California, well you know California. Davis is bashing the recall, Arnold is bashing Davis. The five who debated last night bashed each other. Cruz is cruising with $3 mil from the Indian casino owners while everyone else is piling on his acceptance of the money.
Thursday night the nine Democratic dwarfs attack each other with the main round being eight against Dean. Tell me, why would Gen. Wesley Clark want to be presidential hopeful number ten? Oh yes, and then there’s Hillary.
Like I said, everywhere you look! Everywhere! Unity? No way! If Al-Qaeda will just cool their jets, we’ll destory ourselves without a shot being fired.
PS. Did I mention that Arafat is at the throat of Abbas in Palestine?
THE CALIFORNIA TRAILER
September 2, 2004
Hollywood is where we get most of our movies. We also get all those great teasers known as previews or trailers. In some case, like Pearl Harbor, the trailers come out a year in advance. So, with this concept in hand, we are getting a look at Politics ‘04, here in ‘03.
Over the next thirty days we should see a little bit of everything that we’ll see next year. Arnold got egged on Wednesday and last week it was Ralph Nader who got a pie in the face. I would what Bush will look like with either of those on his face?
Arnold skipped the debate Wednesday but he’ll be in on the big one later this month when it’s SHOW TIME in LA! And, I’m not talking the Lakers. Kobe is holding up the show there.
Every imaginable crazy bill is going to Gray’s desk because if the recall vote passes October 7th, he’s out October 8th. Thus the gay marriage bill is headed to his desk now. And not to be out done Bustamante is getting $3 million from the Indians so that they can keep their casino billions.
Whatever you’re seeing now in California is just Hollywood’s trailer of things to come in our national elections in ‘04.
STALIN HAD IT RIGHT!
September 1, 2004
The U.S. is running more than a half TRILLION federal deficit for 2003 and more in 04. We are also running a half TRILLION annual trade deficit. The national debt is near $7 TRILLION ‘on the books’ and close to $35 TRILLION ‘off-books’. And it appears that few care.
You see, Jessica Lynch was a major story while the fact that the Hutus killed more than 500,000 Tutsies got little attention. Few could even tell you which country I’m talking about. Why?
Stalin said “One death is a tragedy, but a million deaths is just a statistic.” The numbers above that are numbing, are just statistics that the average Joe can’t relate to. But let me tell you what they mean.
When the government runs a deficit it initially has to borrow which takes away from the private and public sectors. This borrowing takes away the capital assets that create jobs. It’s been estimated that for every $40,000 of capital that the government borrows, it robs the market place of one job- one employee. A deficit of a half TRILLION? You do the math!
After the initial borrowing, the government then prints money which creates INFLATION and covers some of the debt. The government has only three ways to get out of debt. The U.S. can tax the people, cut expenses, or print money. Since Bush is in to cutting taxes, and cutting expenses (except for war) to keep his title of being a conservative (right), then printing money is the answer.
And Bush has the right man: Greenspan, who is printing close to a TRILLION in a twelve month span. The only problem is that it will drive up interest rates (and they’re headed up big time), kill the stock market (currently giving a head-fake to investors), and drive precious metal skyward. Note where gold is now: $370 an ounce plus.
Stalin didn’t know his politics but he did know something about human nature.
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