Banking Establishment Ripoff Exposed in MSM

Thinking Americans know the sordid story:

Since the financial crisis, Bank profits are UP 136%... But Bank lending is down 9%.

Perhaps a more interesting story is that this is featured in a mainstream media article; Time Magazine, September 26, 2011, "After Three Years and Trillions of Dollars, Our Banks Still Don't Work."

I could take issue with the phrase "our banks;" yes, we should "own" them having bailed them out, but frankly, instead of we owning the banks, the banks turned the US Treasury and Federal Reserve into lending institutions for the benefit of the banks and the people reaping profits from those corporations.

But, don't let me tarnish the good news with side issues. Time Magazine deserves credit where it is due.

No Disrespect to Michael Jackson a GREAT performer

This is an very short, but well developed video of the change in Michael Jackson's appearance over the years>

Pop Obama's Trial Balloon

LibHom recently writes:

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said on Saturday his plan to end the Iraq war was unchanged and he was puzzled by the sharp reaction to his statement this week that he might "refine" his timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops.

With the insight of many who have been deflated by the empty words of Democrat candidates, LibHom continues:

Of course, if you have followed past Democratic betrayals, you know that "refine" almost always means "capitulate" when it is uttered by most centrist and conservative Democrats.

Where does that leave us? With advice from LibHom:

Maybe Obama's prior comments were a trial balloon. If so, we need to fight like heck to pop it.

Contact Obama: Let him know there is a large constituency holding his feet to the fire Obama Comment Form Click Here.

Talk'n 'bout Revolution

"Talk'n 'bout Revolution," Tony Karon is.

Most people haven't a clue 'bout the pent up frustration in the world. Most people in the US that is, 'cuz most people are in the group that's frustrated. People are frustrated by an economic system that's been sold as "democracy" and as "the natural order" when it's not.

In the world of corporate capitalism, "democracy" means "one dollar, one vote." In a world where corporate capitalism is divine, the machinery of nations become tools for advancing corporate power and the consolidation of wealth. Free Trade rules are structured to favor transnational corporations, and the small elite group, who clearly stand out in a lesser developed country, like Haiti.

While it's great that Tony Karon, and TIME, have written about boiling frustrations, it's clear that the corporate brainwashing has affected the presentation. Take for instance the following statement by Karon:

Ironically, it may be the very success of capitalism in transforming regions previously restrained by various forms of socialism that has helped create the new crisis.

Maybe Karon is merely waxing philosophical, but examine those words. Corporate capitalism simply cannot be wrong. Karon credits capitalism with removing the "restraints" of socialism.... and leading to this unraveling mess. The mess, "credited" to capitalism, has recently had to be "restrained" to avoid a chain reaction leading to utter economic chaos (the "restraint" came in the form of a US tax-payer backed consolidation of Bear Stearns into JPMorgan Chase.)

We're facing an extreme case of what happens when trickle-down economics is.... er, run into the ground. All the money goes to one side of the hour glass, and it needs to be tipped over so the sand can run the other way. Food riots are one pathetic means of redistributing the sand. It's "pathetic" in the sense that, as a society, humans are still so primative as to allow food riots to occur. They "believe" in corporate capitalism, in part because the mass media message is controlled by corporate capitalism. Only saying the obvious, again.

I could go on, but I won't other than to say that Karon's piece is worth a read.

Sources:

TIME,
How Hunger Could Topple Regimes, April 14, 2008.

Photo Credit: Mattress