Paycheck to paycheck. I don't understand how folks can live like that. The pressure would kill me. I need a cushion or I can't function. The softer the better. The price of food is only going to go up from here and the government practice of subsidizing the housing industry is keeping rent artificially high. It's a damn shame. There should be a glut of empty houses with owners begging for renters but that's not how our system is structured. The houses sit empty or with squatters that don't do any upkeep so the house deteriorates while the middle class bails out the banks that made the loans to deadbeats.
I AM the God Damned 99%. Sharpen the Guillotines I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. dj On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 9:55 PM, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > Here's a fact to really worry us. A third of US families are one > paycheck from not being able to pay their rent/mortgage - > > http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/10/one-third-of-americans-one-paycheck-away-from-homelessness.html > > This, very sadly is just how big the problem is and shows it's real. > > On Oct 6, 3:18 am, archytas <[email protected]> wrote: > > Pruning ain't the metaphor I'd choose Chris. Dexia Bank has just gone > > belly-up - it was 'worth' more than Belgium's GDP. The 'money' in the > > banking scam is at factors of ten in comparison with the world of real > > work. My view is that it's in the way of capitalism and democracy. > > The informed guess is they've been lending to crooks on a scale vastly > > bigger than the barrel-loads of dollars gone in Iraq and Afghanistan > > without securing any 'mineral rights'. The kleft stick is that they > > can only make money through the same old scams, so whatever we put > > back in (and I mean we) just does it all over again. In an > > oversimplified way, much of the debt is like you owing me $2 million, > > Don owing 'Francois' $5 million, me owing Molly (etc.) in an equation > > in which, if we cancelled out we're all solvent and I owe Orn a beer > > he won'r drink. What goes in the cancelling is the banks - the debts > > are so networked it's almost like the $2 million you owe me is > > balanced by $1.99 million I owe to people who owe you. I've been > > teaching the EU figures if anyone is interested (they just tell this > > story between EU countries). > > > > We've finally seen some reporting here. A Wall Street guy came on and > > said he was amazed more people weren't protesting as he thought true > > unemployment was at 15% - which is what I reckon here. The real issue > > to me is jobs and wages. A key figure for me is that the bottom 50% > > back in 1980 had 14% of liquid assets (cash more or less) and that's > > down to 1% now. Wages have fallen. The debt problem starts around > > 1965 and it's similar in form to similar ones around gold rushes in > > history. Most people I've seen on television or met in Manchester > > don't know much of the economics but are sick of the lack of > > opportunity. > > > > I was left a house when my cousin died and had to drop the price by a > > fifth to sell. There's no decent unskilled or engineering work around > > here and jobs are being lost at some rate. Just up the road we have > > 64 years of UK energy supply as shale gas about to be exploited. I > > worked on the survey 25 years back. You'd think we'd have a plan > > around this but there isn't one. > > > > Political blather is just about getting the economy moving, our people > > working. It's all dross. Interestingly, our Republicans couldn't > > even fill the seats for the Prime Minister's speech. He's not a half- > > wit like Palin but he's claiming his government has dealt with the > > banks - yet two of the one's we bailed out are still making the kinds > > of losses they were before 2008. One of them,HBOS, was running a > > criminal scam that closed many small companies and is not cooperating > > with the limited police enquiries. > > > > I don't think most people know how bad it all is yet. The collapse of > > Soc. Gen. and Bank of America should do it - B o A could even end up > > Chinese. There are underlying questions on how we get fed if it all > > collapses - after all, we're still growing the food. > > > > On Oct 5, 9:43 pm, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Great time to live,, revolution is always exciting. Maybe if the > bankers > > > and stock market wake up. > > > > > Do corporations still agree obey the laws of the state and the United > > > state.. and if they don't do they lose their corporate skirt > > > Allan > > > On Oct 5, 2011 7:37 PM, "Chris Jenkins" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > > Citizens United was one of the worst rulings in the entire history of > the > > > > Supreme Court. > > > > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Comm... > > > > > > Restricting unions while empowering corporations in political speech > is one > > > > of the root problems that Occupy hopes to address. > > > > > > On Wed, Oct 5, 2011 at 1:17 PM, ornamentalmind < > [email protected] > > > > > wrote: > > > > > >> It looks like the unions are entering into the fray. No doubt this > > > >> will accelerate the attacks on them… such as the proposals to > greatly > > > >> limit and/or not allow political contributions. Perhaps if they > > > >> incorporated…. > > > > > >> > http://www.democracynow.org/2011/10/5/as_unions_students_join_occupy_... > > > > > >> On Oct 5, 8:02 am, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > >> > And thus the need for education. CDO Swaps and other bits of > banking > > > >> > nastiness that prune money from the system while contributing > nothing to > > > >> it > > > >> > are part of the problem. > > > > > >> > On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 7:35 PM, archytas <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > >> > > We have Occupy here too - a few tent cities so far - people also > > > >> > > making the point they ain't left-wing loonies. I went to the > > > >> > > Manchester one yesterday to ask a few people 'why'? I'm not > sure > > > >> > > heard much that was accurate. Might have a look at Greece > nearer > > > >> > > Xmas. Most peopleI met yesterday didn't know what collateral- > > > >> > > derivative fractional banking was. > > > > > >> > > On Oct 4, 2:40 pm, Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > >> > > > Well then, reckon we should all grab shovels, yes? > > > >> > > > On Oct 4, 2011 9:03 AM, "archytas" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > >> > > > > I guess my picture of normal, Chris, would be of an ostrich > with > > > >> its > > > >> > > > > head in the sand - these being the people not doing > occupation. > > > > > >> > > > > On Oct 4, 8:41 am, Allan H <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> It is good to see you again Chris and Don.. > > > > > >> > > > >> I was thinking (I know a rare event) last night only to > have the > > > >> topic > > > >> > > > >> return this morning.. > > > > > >> > > > >> After watching all the demonstrations some thing emerged > that > > > >> does not > > > >> > > > make > > > >> > > > >> sense to me nor do I understand. maybe some one can > straighten me > > > >> > > out.. > > > > > >> > > > >> He goes: If I invest my money in a company say Sky Cat (I > like > > > >> the > > > >> > > idea) > > > >> > > > I > > > >> > > > >> am hoping the company will go on to produce me a profit by > > > >> > > manufacturing > > > >> > > > the > > > >> > > > >> air type craft. They have my money, I have a share of > their > > > >> company > > > >> > > > >> because they control my money.. > > > > > >> > > > >> Now if I give a "Bank" control of my money they do not in > return > > > >> give > > > >> > > me > > > >> > > > a > > > >> > > > >> share of their stock like a normal company does.. they > invest > > > >> both > > > >> > > their > > > >> > > > >> money and my money and I have no problem with that,, what > I have > > > >> a > > > >> > > > problem > > > >> > > > >> with is the sharing of the profits.. if there is a profit > their > > > >> share > > > >> > > of > > > >> > > > the > > > >> > > > >> money makes more money than mine,, but if they lose money > It > > > >> is my > > > >> > > > money > > > >> > > > >> that is lost not theirs.. > > > > > >> > > > >> Even if I put money in a simple savings account,, it is > > > >> investing in > > > >> > > the > > > >> > > > >> bank.. and what I am seeing is a group if people who think > the > > > >> laws > > > >> > > of > > > >> > > > >> economics and moral responsibility. If they lose money,, > because > > > >> they > > > >> > > are > > > >> > > > >> the ones in control morally they should be taking the > greater > > > >> share of > > > >> > > > the > > > >> > > > >> lose.. and that includes the stock market.. > > > >> > > > >> Allan > > > > > >> > > > >> On Tue, Oct 4, 2011 at 1:22 AM, Chris Jenkins < > > > >> > > [email protected] > > > >> > > > >wrote: > > > > > >> > > > >> > Leaving moderation behind has made it feel like a whole > new > > > >> list for > > > >> > > > me. :D > > > > > >> > > > >> > I too am worried about undue influence coopting the > cause, but > > > >> I > > > >> > > think > > > >> > > > >> > that's an inevitability of any populist movement. Even > the > > > >> Egyptians > > > >> > > > are > > > >> > > > >> > warily eyeing their "liberated" government. I just hope > some > > > >> good is > > > >> > > > >> > accomplished along the way. > > > >> > > > >> > On Oct 3, 2011 7:15 PM, "Don Johnson" <[email protected]> > > > >> wrote: > > > >> > > > >> > > I'm very glad to see your august presence back amongst > these > > > >> > > humble > > > >> > > > >> > boards > > > >> > > > >> > > Chris. > > > > > >> > > > >> > > The self portraits of 99%s with notes describing > themselves > > > >> > > affected > > > >> > > > me > > > >> > > > >> > > somewhat. Some are easy to dismiss as whiny but many > are > > > >> obviously > > > >> > > > >> > feeling > > > >> > > > >> > > the same pain I see in family and friends around me. It > > > >> literally > > > >> > > > puts a > > > >> > > > >> > > face, many faces actually, on our problems. I'm very > glad > > > >> folks > > > >> > > like > > > >> > > > you > > > >> > > > >> > are > > > >> > > > >> > > out there recording these times. I mean that because I > see in > > > >> you > > > >> > > > someone > > > >> > > > >> > > without a particular agenda other then improvement. I > have > > > >> never > > > >> > > seen > > > >> > > > you > > > >> > > > >> > as > > > >> > > > >> > > someone that ignores or tries to cover up obvious > > > >> discrepancies in > > > >> > > > what > > > >> > > > >> > > politicians say and what they do. I find your support > of Ron > > > >> Paul > > > >> > > > >> > > refreshing. While I disagree with many of his policies > the > > > >> thing I > > > >> > > > most > > > >> > > > >> > > admire about him is his consistency. There are few > things our > > > >> > > > President > > > >> > > > >> > has > > > >> > > > >> > > done I approve of but killing terrorists is at the top > of the > > > >> > > list. > > > >> > > > Ron > > > >> > > > >> > is > > > >> > > > >> > > wrong on this. > > > > > >> > > > >> > > Now, with the ass kissing portion of my post out of the > way, > > > >> let's > > > >> > > > get to > > > >> > > > >> > > the Occupy(pickyourplace) kerfuffle. I made the > observation > > > >> in a > > > >> > > post > > > >> > > > on > > > >> > > > >> > G+ > > > >> > > > >> > > that this may be one of those times when you see Tea > Partiers > > > >> > > > marching > > > >> > > > >> > next > > > >> > > > >> > > to Code Pinkers. Nobody likes corp. welfare and high > > > >> unemployment > > > >> > > > except > > > >> > > > >> > for > > > >> > > > >> > > the lobbyists and politicians that engineer it. Even > > > > ... > > > > read more »
