FROM GAME-CHANGER TO BANKER

Can anyone tell me what happened to Barack Obama? Was he and his family threatened by the elite who run this world? What other explanation is there to explain the profound difference between Obama's inspirational rhetoric of the presidential campaign and the dismal Right-leaning action of his presidency.

For a clue we can go back to the day after he was elected when Obama started putting together his cabinet and those other individuals who would work under him. Everyone he chose, who would have anything to do with the economy or the financial system, came from Wall Street. More Specifically, their association was with Robert Rubin, chief architect of NAFTA, prime destroyer of Glass-Steagall and driving force behind the total deregulation of the financial system. As Clinton's Secretary of State and the ultimate big shot at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, Rubin has probably done more to damage this country economically than any other single person dead or alive. Yet, Obama picked as his economic team, those very persons closest to Rubin and Goldman Sachs (a.k.a. "Government Sachs").

You don't have to look anywhere else. From day one, Obama went from game-changer to banker. As intelligent and articulate and charming as he is, he, nonetheless, became part of Big Government joined at the hip with Wall Street. But could someone tell me why he found it necessary to join the conspiracy and let down the American people?

February 22, 2010

DEER TURNING THE TABLES ON TROPHY HUNTERS

     Has it occurred to anyone that the reason there are no more trophy deer in the state of Maine is because you've shot them all? As usual, the blame is placed squarely on the predators i.e. the hated coyote, when the predator-in-chief is Boobus Americanus a.k.a. demented hunters.

     Throughout the history of mankind, hunting was the means to obtain food to get families through the long cold winter.  Pursued in this manner, hunting culled the weakest individuals amongst the deer just as the coyote has always done. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand Darwin. Survival of the fittest has always worked if only left alone to do so. But then enter the trophy hunter. Going against nature he/she culls the herd by shooting the fittest and letting the weaker specimens reproduce.  So, if you're trying to figure out what happened to all those trophy deer, just look on your wall.

     P.S. Don't tell anyone, but there are a few magnificent specimens left. BUT THEY ARE ARMED WITH SHOTGUNS, RIFLES AND AK-47s. They are waiting in ambush to turn the tables on the mentally-challenged trophy hunters. And these deer have access to the very best taxidermists in the state.

February 16, 2010

FIRST THE EURO, THEN THE DOLLAR

    

     Since the "banksters" own the developed western world, no one in that world has dared to implement any financial reform. The criminals are free to employ their weapons of mass destruction, a.k.a. over-the-counter derivatives, wherever they perceive weakness.

     Instead of mere companies i.e. Lehman, Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, they are now targeting fatally-indebted COUNTRIES. At this moment in time they have in their telescopic sights what our smug mainstream media refers to as the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain). The big banks, which are really unregulated hedge funds, are going after the debt (bonds) of these countries and the paper currency they all share: the Euro. The European Union, which is nothing more than the United States of Europe, is under financial attack. This economic blitzkrieg can be every bit as devastating as the military variety in bringing down this union of loosely-strung-together nations.

     Lest the United States of America become too cocky and complacent, it is crucial to understand that we are next. With most of our individual states, led by California, the eighth largest economy in the world, either already bankrupt or hurtling in that direction, the U.S. dollar is waiting in the wings for its turn to be under similar financial bombardment. It is, after all, a race to the bottom when it comes to all paper currencies.

     The so-called recovery is pure propaganda, and the Federal Government is dysfunctional. It has all come down to the nasty choice of printing money or outright default. The Feds are not going to help us. It is up to each one of us to have a plan to protect our assets when the banker terrorists turn their sights on the good old USA and its faith-based currency.

February 15, 2010

DON'T LET THEM BLAME THE VICTIM

    
     Getting screwed by a company is one thing. Catching them at it and letting them know you’re wise to what they just did raises the stakes. Once caught, look out, because here comes one of those underhanded curveballs. Don't you just love it when they screw you blind and then turn on a dime and blame you when you catch them in the act. That's grounds for justifiable homicide. When you tell them that you know what they're up to, they hate you for it. Don't ever let them get away with blaming the victim; it's the oldest trick in the book.

     My method for getting back at the bastards, since murder is considered illegal in many of our states, is to inform them that I will spend the rest of my life letting the world know about their poor behavior. I will dedicate whatever time I have left on this earth to putting them out of business. It will be my sole reason for living, my only motivation. "So you see, sir, what you did to me will prove to be pennywise and dollar foolish. Are you sure you do not wish to reconsider and pay me the $1.29 you and I both know you owe me?" And since they're not sure whether you're out of your mind or dead serious, they usually come to their senses rather than risk the unknown.

February 8, 2010

WE'RE ALL JUST RENTERS IN THIS WORLD

     Have you noticed that people who own land feel very strongly about their ownership? They build fences around their property and put up "NO TRESPASSING" signs on some of the trees that form the perimeter of their possession. "KEEP OUT!" gets nailed up quite a bit, as well, along with "PRIVATE PROPERTY" and "BEWARE OF DOG." Friendly chaps, these land owners. Of course, the bigger the piece of ground they own, the more Conservative the owners are likely to be. Thinking you own something turns people into Conservatives in a big hurry.

     Since I am a photographer of old barns and other such wonderful architectural antiquities, I am repeatedly faced with the dilemma of whether to cross the line on to somebody's property in order to get the picture. In days gone by I used to dutifully knock on the landowner's door and ask him whether I could take some pictures of his barn. But I quickly learned that anyone with a camera was deemed to be highly suspicious and untrustworthy. And the more I explained why I wanted to take such a picture, the less likely I was to obtain the permission I sought. "Well, you see, sir, the barn is particularly aesthetic; it has an exquisite combination of form and color that seems to glow as if with a soul or spirit, if you know what I mean." At that point I was invited to leave at once or the proverbial sheriff would be called. And so now I've come to no longer respect so called "property rights," and I simply walk on to the land surrounding the old farm buildings in the name of art——–with the hope that while I shoot my pictures the land owner will not do some shooting of his own and ask questions later.

     Of course, it's out West where the big shots, you know, the ranchers, really take their right of ownership to heart. They get pretty nasty when you step over the old barbed wire. I had one particularly notable run in with a well known rancher/politician out in Wyoming. This character owned more land in one contiguous piece than there is in some entire countries. And he had no sense of humor about his land. "What the hell do you think you're doing walking on my land? This is my land, and you better get your ass off of here or I'll blow your butt full of buckshot." Charming fellow, I thought; filled with love for his fellow human beings. And what a delightful humorist. "Shut up, you asshole," I said. "You don't own this land anymore than I do. We're all renters in this world. Get it? Short-term tenants and nothing more. Trouble is, some of us do irreparable harm to the land during our brief tenancy." He looked at me with a hatred I'd never before encountered.

February 8, 2010

THIRD PARTY, ANYONE?

     I think we can all agree that the Democrats and the Republicans are not the answer to the country's escalating problems. Indeed, both parties are part of the problem. By being in the hip pockets of the "banksters," the health insurance industry, the drug companies, the auto makers etc., they have provided us with hard evidence that they are not participating in a representative democracy.

     Webster's definition of a conspiracy is: an agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act. I call the agreement between Corporate America and our government officials "Conspiracy Capitalism." It is quite simply a process where the Executive and Legislative branches of government, who were elected, or, in some cases, appointed, to represent the American people and do the people's business, represent, instead, the interests of large corporations who pay them to do their business. As such, the system is dysfunctional and needs to be fundamentally changed.

     Of course, it is easy to agree that the Republicans, in their total embrace of Conservative theology, are worse than the Democrats and have become wholly irrelevant. But the Democrats, presented with an opportunity that they may never again enjoy in our lifetime, have shown themselves to be incapable of governing. Did someone read Obama the "riot act" as he prepared to take office? (After all, the Banker terrorists do not play softball). The naming of his Cabinet, most of whom were around and even partially responsible for the financial meltdown, should have been a great big red flag for all to see. Was he threatened? There's no other way to explain the stunning difference between Obama's inspirational rhetoric of his presidential campaign and the dismal Right-leaning action of his presidency..

     The only other possibility is that the Democrats are scared to death to be Democrats. Like Clinton before them, they tend to throw some grass up into the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Since the wind is a constantly shifting force of nature, the average wind is blowing from the center. And Centrists don't stand for anything. If you don't stand for anything and you're in bed with the special interests who run this country, then you're not that much better than a Republican.

     The country needs an independent third party. Americans, disgusted with the performance of both Democrats and Republicans, are registering to vote in huge numbers as Independents. They are searching gamely for someone to represent them as actual public servants instead of colluding with big business. They are scanning the horizon for a third party.

     As Progressives, we can cede that independent third party to the Tea Baggers, or we can be that voice of reform and fundamental change that Obama promised in words but has not delivered in deeds. The wimpy, ineffective Democrats have created a vacuum into which a new, revitalized Progressive party should rush in and fill with strength and purpose. Do we really have a choice?

February 7, 2010

THE TOOTH FAIRY LIVES

    

     We had a customer come into our art gallery the other day and use the “S” word. She turned to her husband, and I distinctly heard her say, “Dear, I think maybe we should try to save some money.” Although it was a private conversation not meant for the likes of my ears, I felt compelled to let them both know that saving money is positively un-American and cannot be tolerated in any form whatsoever. I further personalized the issue by appealing to their patriotism. “If you truly love your Country, and I’m sure you do, then you have a moral duty to go further into debt by continuing to buy things you don’t need with money you don’t have.” They stared back at me with a glazed expression, which was a signal for me to continue their education. “Our Federal Government sets a good example for us all and expects every citizen to do his or her part in following its lead.”

     Having paused in my monologue, I asked them whether they were ready to repent over their use of the word, “saving.” “Surely, you must know that the alternative to going deeper into debt is ongoing recession or worse, and you certainly don’t want to have that on your conscience.” I concluded by begging them never to use the “S” word again in public, as it could turn out to be contagious. The couple did a quick 180 and accelerated out the door never to be seen again. But I felt good that in some small way I had at least tried to do what I could to keep the myth alive that the economy is recovering, business is getting better and there is no inflation. The Tooth Fairy lives!

February 4, 2010