Schooling The Apparatchiks For The Kleptocrats (December 7, 2015)

Posted in Bureaucracy, Education, Kleptocracy, O'Bama, Schooling, Wall Street on December 7, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “Harvard and Yale are in business to make a profit and provide the foot soldiers to protect those making a profit.  Columbia has stepped up its game.  Both Eric Holder and Lonny Breuer each bagged a pair of degrees from Columbia and dutifully served Wall Street while on the public pay roll.  First Covington & Burling, then time in the Department of Justice (?), and then back to C & B to protect the Owners.  They did their time in government, but they did not encourage the criminal banksters to do their time in government custody.”

K          “I have said for some time that Morningside Heights is in business to protect its friends down the road in Manhattan.  Once Wall Street took a controlling stake in O’Bama, Inc., it was game over.  The game was over on or before January 20, 2009, yet it did not make that night’s sports highlights.” 

J          “The grand irony is that rather than quash any and all prosecutions of Wall Street fraud, Holder and Breuer could have aided and abetted their past and future colleagues by allowing them to get rich quashing government subpoenas.” 

K          “And then toss in Glenn Hubbard, a deceptive and dishonest errand boy for the banks and corporations.  Where is he proselytizing and propagandizing?”

. . .   

K          “On the other hand, Columbia also provides a haven for Joseph Stiglitz and James Hansen.”

J          “And William Kunstler did not toil and moil for C & B.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at America’s Fraud Factories (October 18, 2010), On Merit and the Meritocracy (January 11, 2010), Close the Harvard Business School (February 23, 2009) and Higher Education Tomorrow (November 27, 2006).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Politicians should dress like race car drivers.  At least we would know who their corporate sponsors are.

74 years today.

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Chelsea And Ed:  Time For “Con” “dign” Treatment (November 30, 2015)  

Posted in Awards / Incentives, Bureaucracy, Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, O'Bama, PATRIOT Act, Privacy, Profile In Courage Award, Supreme Court on November 30, 2015 by e-commentary.org

 

. . .

K          “Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Edward Snowden’s receipt, along with  several standing ovations in the Swedish parliament, of the Right Livelihood award for his revelations of the scale of government surveillance and monitoring.  And a fortnight ago O’Bama announced the recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and forgot to mention Edward.  And right after he released Edward Pollard, a spy who pedaled state secrets for money.”

J          “He released the wrong Ed.  He’s a busy guy.”

K          “The absurdity and the insanity and the dishonesty and the hypocrisy continue in overdrive.”

. . .

K          “For two individuals who did so much to protect our liberty and freedom, neither of them should lose a moment’s freedom or liberty.  Require them each to do one thousand hours of community service.  To send a message that actions have consequences.” 

. . .

K          “The FISA Amendments Act (FAA) is the unconstitutional law that allows the government to wiretap Americans who are communicating with people overseas.  Under the FAA, the government can conduct this surveillance without naming individuals and without a traditional warrant based on a showing of probable cause.”

J          “Despite the Fourth Amendment that requires a warrant.”

K          “Yup.  Despite the Fourth Amendment that requires a warrant.  When the Supreme Court addressed whether the unconstitutional law is unconstitutional the Supreme Court did not address the constitutionality of the law itself and instead ruled that the plaintiffs could not prove the surveillance was ‘certainly impending’.”

J          “We suffer because of the ignorance and intentional naiveté and dishonesty of the Supreme Court.  Goes to show.”

K          “They are only running show trials.  The plaintiffs were held not to have the ‘standing’ necessary to sue.  They were just a group of lawyers, journalists, and human rights advocates who regularly communicate with likely ‘targets’ of FAA wiretapping.”

J          “Seems like a ‘stand up’ group of individuals to me.”

K          “Since the ‘stand up’ group of Americans did not have definitive proof that they were being surveilled under the FAA, they cannot challenge the constitutionality of the unconstitutional statute.”

J          “And the government nearly always keeps its surveillance activities secret.”

K          “But you always knew they were illegally surveilling.”

J          “Sure.”

. . .

K          “‘Condign punishment’ is the ideal punishment that balances the rights and responsibilities of the individual and the society.  ‘Con’ means ‘with’ and ‘dign’ means ‘dignity’ so that condign means to provide ‘with dignity’.”

. . .

K          “Both should be given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  They have made great personal sacrifices for our freedom.”

. . . 

[President O’Bama failed to name Edward Snowden as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  Again.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/16/president-obama-names-recipients-presidential-medal-freedom.  He cannot.  Yet he could pardon Ed and Chelsea on the way out.]

[See the e-commentary at Hero or Traitor? (June 10, 2013), Profile In Cowardice Award (May 12, 2014) and Profile in Courage Award, 2015 (May 11, 2015).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

“For especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”  Presidential Medal of Freedom

And Edward Pollard, a spy who pedaled secrets for money, gets released.

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“Terrorism” And “Terrorist” Defined.  Definitely.  Definitively.  Finally. (November 23, 2015)  

Posted in Song Reference, Terrorism, War on November 23, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

?          “So if a bomb falls on a wedding party and extinguishes the ring bearer and the flower girl, is it an ‘act of terror’ and is the perpetrator/actor a ‘terrorist’?”

!          “It depends on who dropped the bomb and who the bomb was dropped on.”

?          “So there is no such thing as an inherent ‘act of terror’ apart from the identity of the perpetrator/actor?”

!          “It depends on who is good and who is bad.”

?          “So who is good and who is bad?”

!          “It depends.  Those who fight terrorism are good and those who foment terrorism are bad.”

?          “So if a bomb dropped by the Swiss falls on a wedding party and extinguishes the ring bearer and the flower girl, is it an act of terrorism?”

!          “It depends.  The good folks are good and the bad folks are bad.  The Swiss are the good folks.”

?          “So that ‘act of terror’ is not an ‘act of terror’ and thus is good?”

!          “It depends.”

. . .

?          “So if a bomb dropped by the U.S. falls on a wedding party and extinguishes the ring bearer and the flower girl, is it an ‘act of terror’ and is the perpetrator/actor a ‘terrorist’?”

!          “It depends.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at The Drums of War (February 20, 2012).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

It depends.

Fox shows them launching, Al Jazeera shows them landing.

“Government is the entertainment division of the military-industrial complex.”  Frank Zappa

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Drop A Bomb, Gestate A Terrorist; Drop A Bomb, Sprout A Refugee (November 16, 2015)

Posted in Book Reference, Iraq, Middle East, War on November 16, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “The problem is the continuing and recurring problem.  Dropping bombs caused the problem; dropping more bombs causes more problems; dropping even more bombs causes even more problems.”

K          “Everyone is gasping and grasping for a solution without understanding the problem.”

J          “Everyone is so gripped with fear that no one is thinking clearly.”

. . .

K          “When someone drops 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 google mega-tons of bombs on ISIS or ISIL or whatever it is and kills all the ISISists or ISILists or whateverists, what will result?”

J          “ISIS 2.0.”

K          “Yup.  I refer to it as ‘ISIL Part Two.’  Coming to a troubled region near you.  In 2024.”

J          “Those who failed to anticipate and prepare for ISIS 1.0 are not anticipating or preparing for ISIS 2.0.  And what if it transmogrifies into ILIS?”

K          “We are doomed.  Of our own doing.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at Intended Consequences In Iraq (August 3, 2015) and Staying the Collision Course In Iraq and The Mid-East (September 25, 2006).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Think Big; Think Long; Heck, Think.

What happens in the Middle East stays in the Middle East.

“All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”  George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia

There is no money in the Truth.

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The Police v. The People: The War Expands (November 9, 2015)

Posted in Civil Rights/Civil Liberties, Collapse, Crime/Punishment, Police, Prison/Criminology, Race, Republicans, Unions on November 9, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

2          “Petit bourgeoisie.  That is a more accurate description.”

. . .

1          “My nick name for her is ‘Mary Poppins.’  The cop barked at her to produce her insurance and registration.  Shook up, she found both in her glove box and produced them.  He screamed at her:  ‘This is your registration and insurance.  I said I want your insurance and registration.’”

2          “A picture of one of his grand kids stuck to his driver’s license.  The cop exploded that he didn’t tell him to give him pictures of his little bastards.”

1          “She said she was relieved to be pulled over.  The car behind her had been tailgating and flashing the high beams and speeding up and slowing down as she sped up and slowed down.  The cop was hostile and cited her for speeding and reckless driving.  She also displayed out-of-state tags.  In the South.”

2          “The cop laughed and said to produce a driver’s license and proof of insurance without taking his hands off the steering wheel.”

. . .

1          “All White, all polite, all contrite and all over 48.”

2          “And yet only in the petit bourgeoisie.  When a White person who abides the law cannot even abide the law, the system is profoundly broken.”

. . .

1          “One concern with the ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ movement is that the hands must go up when the police make a reasonable request and not later at some rally with all the usual glitterati.  The troubling concern with the ‘Pants Up, Don’t Loot’ movement is that the adherents do not like Blacks.”

. . .

1          “More so than at any time in the history of the Republic, might makes right today.  For a few moments, cops have absolute might.”

2          “More so than at any time in the history of the Republic, the police are militarized Legionnaires defending Rome in its last days.”

. . .

1          “Have you noticed that some Republican governors who attack unions do not challenge the police unions.”

2          “They know who has the guns.”

. . .

1          “The cops have expanded the enemies list to include more than the usual suspects.  Blacks and Browns are not alone.  The police now only exempt the very wealthy from their wrath.”

2          “That is a curious notion of equal protection.”

. . .

1          “There will be repercussions.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at Police Police (November 24, 2014) and at the Category “Police.”]

Bumper sticker of the week:

PIGs:  Pride, Integrity, Guts

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They Can Print Money (November 2, 2015)

Posted in Bail In, Bailout/Bribe, Bankruptcy, Banks and Banking System, FDIC, Federal Reserve, Kleptocracy, TARP, Wall Street on November 2, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

Q          “The FDIC can simply print money.”

B          “Maybe.  However, the response to the Big Jolt may be . . . nuanced?  By the government?  Let me explain.  Or at least confuse the issue.”

. . .

Q          “By any metric – economically, morally, psychologically, ethically, metaphysically, generationally – TARP was a grand fraud perpetrated on the American people.  And the central message is crystal clear – everyone in power knows that there are no limits or restraints of any kind to government criminality at the top.  They can simply print money.”

B          “Maybe.  During what I call the Financial Crime of 2008, the government could have nationalized the banks, but those in power allowed the banks to nationalize the government, in particular the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department.  The Fed and Treasury now have carte blanc to do anything that serves the interests of their Owners on Wall Street and with the Big Banks.  However, the FDIC may not have that absolute freedom and immunity from liability and accountability.  The bureaucrats in the bureaucracy at the FDIC bureaucracy may behave like bureaucrats.  Some risk-averse bureaucrat may seize up and say that she or he will not make the decision to commit the agency to exceed its authority because he or she may not have enough stroke to obtain immunity.”

Q          “The most risk-averse course of action still is to print money or create electrons.”

B          “Maybe.  The Owners have agreed that ‘bail ins’ are the answer to their self-created problem.  At some point, however, even J. Q. Public may say ‘bastante’ and swing by the bank and demand his or her deposits.” 

Q          “They will hand out a plastic card in lieu of physical cash.  Print money or produce plastic.  There is no difference.”

. . .

B          “Maybe.  Except that the fundamental problem today is not liquidity, it is solvency.  The system is insolvent.  Printing more money is akin to distributing cigarette butts.  The bucks, like butts, soon will not be cherished.”

Q          “At that point, we may be bartering cigarettes.”

B          “Maybe.  If they are available.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at (M)End The Fed (July 11, 2011).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank; give a man a bank and he can rob the world

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Cashin’ In Cash (October 26, 2015)

Posted in Banks and Banking System, Privacy on October 26, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

D          “You’re kidding?  I can’t withdraw all my money.  I could swear this looks like a financial intermediary.”

. . .

D          “I can’t withdraw my money and you want to monitor my deposits of cash on behalf of the government?”

. . .

D          “The government does not need to know everything.  If you protected our privacy when we sought to deposit cash, you might attract more deposits and have enough funds to allow me to withdraw $3000 or $3500.  Just a thought.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at Monitoring The Masses: The Card And The Chip (January 12, 2015).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

In November, we’ll begin requiring a valid identification (ID) for cash deposits made with our tellers.  Bank of America

In November, cash withdrawals are limited to $2500 in a business day.  Local Credit Union

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USA, FDIC, Or NCUA? LCU? SPCU? (October 19, 2015)

Posted in Bail In, Bailout/Bribe, Banks and Banking System, Boycott Series, Collapse, Credit Unions, Debt/Deficits, Depression, Dollar - World's Reserve Currency, Federal Reserve, Gold, International Finance, Kleptocracy, Money, SDR - Special Drawing Rights, Silver on October 19, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

B          “I want out of the Racket – the stock market Racket.  I want to hold my deferred compensation in the form of dollars, for what they are worth.  As I see it, Treasury Bills and Treasury Bonds are allegedly protected by the ‘full faith and credit’ of the United States.  What is that worth?  When the Big Jolt hits, what is Uncle Sam’s telephone number?  Or e-mail address?  unclesam@unclesam.gov?  A general promise by the Uncle when I have full faith that the credit of the United States is sketchy, provisional and conditional at best.  I won’t touch Treasury Bills or Treasury Bonds.”

C          “Another hollow and worthless promise.  I won’t touch Treasuries and refuse to deposit money in a bank.  The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) allegedly provides insurance for banks, yet the agency is ‘stressed’ to put it mildly and will not pay all claims in the event of a significant bank run.  The NCUA (National Credit Union Association) allegedly provides insurance for credit unions and may provide some insurance protection for some time for some depositors.  I am willing to make a tentative commitment to the system and keep some of my funds in my Local Credit Union (LCU).”

B          “Depositing a healthy chunk of money in the Sealy Posturepedic Credit Union (SPCU) involves little counterparty risk and allows me to sleep peacefully at night.  When the Big Jolt hits, there will not be enough physical dollars.  Regular folks may accept regular dollars for two related reasons – inertia and habit – until the shock triggers them to do something and change their habits.  Regular folks will accept the few available physical dollars for four or six or eight weeks for transactions as long as other citizens accept dollars for transactions.  Then regular folks will only accept Sacagawea dollars and some coins for a few weeks, although coins like dollars of any kind are in short supply today.  After a few more weeks, some informed folks will accept silver coins minted before 1964 at a premium.”

C          “In the end, the Depression is our guide.  Twelve gauge shot gun shells may be another medium of exchange and twenty-two rounds may be used as change to support the emerging barter economy.  Cash of any kind is the threat to the those who run System.  The government now requires banks to obtain and record the identity of anyone making a cash deposit and are refusing to accept cash for some payments.”

B          “Banks do not need deposits to be able to loan money.  Yet today many banks are offering gimmicks and gewgaws to attract funds that they will be able to retain during a ‘bail in’ without any obligation to the depositor.”

. . .

C          “Junior’s paper route money stored in his piggy bank may be our only available liquid asset.”

B          “She may not stand for us withdrawing some of the Standing Liberty quarters from the collection she has accumulated with her baby sitting money.”

C          “We may need a bushel basket of Wheat Pennies to buy a pocketful of wheat.”

B          “When the banks are maneuvering to avoid a haircut, we may be required to go to our Barbers.”

. . . 

[See the e-commentary at Preserve Cash; Preserve (Some) Privacy (May 4, 2015), “Bail Ins” Are Globalized; “Bail Outs” Are Bailed Back In; No Bail For Bankers (December 29, 2014), Globalizing The Bail In (July 8, 2013), Bailouts: Out; Bail Ins: In; Slowly Boilin’ The Frog (April 15, 2013), Money “In The Bank” Or “Under The Mattress” (October 8, 2012), Boycott Big Banks – Vote Your Dollars (November 21, 2011), and Boycott Big Banks (February 1, 2010).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

The U.S. government is pursuing an international currency war and a domestic war on currency.

SPCU/You > LCU/NCUA > Bank/FDIC > Uncle Sam/FF&C

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Seriously Sizing Up Syria Seizing Up (October 12, 2015)

Posted in Afghanistan, Bush, Climate, Dollar - World's Reserve Currency, Foreign Policy, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Newspapers, Russia, Sports, Syria, Vietnam, War on October 12, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

7          “They could make it easier if they wore jerseys with numbers.”

8          “The good folks could sport odd numbers and the bad folks could sport even numbers on their uniforms.”

7          “Or the good folks could use even numbers and the bad folks could use odd numbers.  Or use different defining colors.  Or stitch the sponsor of the team on the back of the jersey.”

8          “During the Southeast Asian War Games conducted in ‘nam, a ‘Stars and Stripes’ newspaper cartoon depicted two identical individuals in pajamas and flip flops – one described as ‘Friend’ and one described as ‘Enemy’.”

7          “Nothing changes.  Discerning one’s friends and one’s enemies among those wearing towels and sandals is vexing.”

8          “The great feud between the Shia and the Sunni seems akin to the great feud between the Hatfields and McCoys.  No one was right and no one really knew what they were fighting for and no one really knew why they were fighting.”

7          “The reality is that the enemy of my enemy is not my friend, the enemy of my enemy is my enemy.”

. . .

7          “Most folks are more comfortable with what the nerdy folks describe as a ‘Manichean’ division into good and bad, or right and wrong, or us and them.  International relations are described as a balance of power and depicted with a scale.  A pint of water on one side can be balanced with a pound of whatever on the other side.  Yet international relations are more akin to multiple Calder mobiles strung and hung together.  Tug on one string and everything tips out of balance.  The unprovoked invasion of Iraq by then President Cheney and Vice President Bush in 2003 was the great tug that triggered the imbalance accelerating today.”

8          “Toss a rock in the pond and watch the concentric circles and the eccentric responses.  The lack of water in Syria and other places is fueling the fury.  A drought of water leads to a drought of hope.  The world is transitioning from wars over oil to wars over water.”

7          “And wars over currency.  Everything is out of balance.”

8          “Seems that global climate change is bringing about global change.”

. . .

8          “For the U.S., ‘Iraq’ is Arabic for ‘Vietnam’.  For Russia, ‘Syria’ may be Arabic for ‘Afghanistan’.”

7          “‘Waterloo’ is French for ‘Waterloo’.”

8          “Or Esperanto for ‘quagmire’.”

. . .

7          “We make decisions with limited information.  Look at who is for and who is against going to war.  Former General Wesley Clark suggests that the United States seeks to take out Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.  The Neo-conservatives in America want the United States to be mired in constant war everywhere on the planet all the time.  They keep getting us in trouble.”

8          “The bad folks.  Do they have even or odd numbers?  What color are their uniforms?”

. . .

7          “Much of the fighting is a prolonged currency war between the United States and many other countries.  The United States is slowly losing the franchise on the world’s reserve currency.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at World’s Reserve Currency War I = Cold War 2.0 = WW III (?) (September 8, 2014) and Le Dollar – World’s Reserve Currency? (November 28, 2011).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Are they doing the watusi when they should be doing the hokey pokey?

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Boys v. Girls / Reds v. Blues / Republicans v. Democrats / Catholics v. Jews / Institutionalists v. Individualists / Don’t Let Others Immanentize The Eschatoners v. Let Others Immanentize The Eschatoners: The Great Divide At The Supreme Court Today (October 5, 2015)

Posted in Capital Punishment, Death Penalty, First Monday In October, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Hypocrisy, Immanentizing The Eschaton, Law, Religion, Supreme Court on October 5, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

L1          “Breyer is an all-pro guy, but, admit it, he is too smart to be male.  And Sotomayor was born with a plastic spoon in her mouth and is not a sustaining member of the Don’t-Let-Others-Immanentize-The-Eschaton wing of the Catholic church who dominate the Court today.”

L2          “So on one side of the great chasm are the Red Republican Catholic Institutionalist boys (Roberts, Scalia, Alito, Thomas and Kennedy) and on the other side are the Blue Democratic Jewish Individualist girls (Breyer, Ginsberg, Kagan and Sotomayor).  The divide could not be more clean and elegant.”

L1          “Or more stark and cavernous.  The Justices are seated by seniority but now should be seated with an aisle to divide them into two camps.  The sports announcer could chortle:  ‘In this corner, we have the Reds; in this corner, we have the Blues.’”

L2          “That would be way too honest and candid.  The big problem remains the lack of lawyers, leaders and intellectuals on the Court.  The biggest problem is that they are drawn from the worst pool of candidates – judges from the federal appellate courts who are probably the most intellectually dishonest group of lawyers.”

. . .

L1          “They are not listening to the Pope on topics ranging from global climate change to the death penalty, from the death of the planet to the death of the person.”

L2          “Or the Pope’s comments on income inequality.  Roberts and Alito are trying to outdo each other promoting business over the individual and protecting the government from the individual.”

. . .

L1          “Those in the majority claim to be Roman Catholic but do not vote or behave like the majority of Roman Catholics.  They are roman Catholics.”

L2          “Sans serifs.  Depends on the day of the week.  A Catholic on Sunday and a quasi-Catholic on the first Monday in October and thereafter.”

L2          “The opinions of the Pope are what lawyers describe as purely advisory.”

L1          “That independence of thought is not entirely undesirable.”

L2          “Accord.”

. . .

L1          “No more than three Justices from one law school.  No more than three Justices from one religion.  No more than three Justices from the WaNeBos region.”

L2          “If no more than three Justices can be confirmed who believe that we should let others immanentize the Eschaton and no more than three Justices can be confirmed who believe that we should not let others immanentize the Eschaton, how do we fill the other three slots?”

. . .

[See the e-commentary include in the “First Monday In October Series” and see The Paradox Of The Republican Federal Judge: Republican Federal Judge Syndrome (September 23, 2013) and SCOTUS on TV: “They Might Not Be Such Bastards” (March 26, 2012).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

It all comes down to one Red Republican Catholic Institutionalist guy – The Fulcrum

Pray

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