The only way to counter these corporate ideologues is to renounce
consumerism.

We, our children, friends, and most of the world are bombarded daily with the
commercials. You know the ads - buy this buy that.

To change yourself and become self reliant (off the grid) is certainly a step
backwards.

But since that top percentage cares nothing about you as an individual, then
they may as well not exist.

There is an empathy gene missing in that top percentage.

The one that defines us as humans.

Making this self reliant move will of course isolate you from the masses.

To get there (a self made roof over your head, a source of water, growing your
own organic food, reading of ways to stay healthy without any prescriptions).

Truth of nature will not elude you in your self reliant world.

Find ways to slowly disconnect from this system. This system is broken.

Do not let the T.V. instill fear in you.

Long live the truth.

It’s only the realization that a few hundred dogmatic ideologues control the future of this country and of the world. Our country is in a sorry state when such miscreants make or don’t make the right decisions for the rest of us. Aren’t you a depressed investor when you think about it. No stimulus will be possible for at least a year and a half, and that’s only if voters gets some smarts. Republicans are leading us into more recession to defeat Obama in 2012. As bad as Obama has been, it would be cataclysmic to have any Republican in the White House.

Conservatives by nature only look backward, wistfully hoping for the 18th century, ignoring modern economics, science, and “all them new-fangled doo-dads”.  They had NO idea that their bogus tight-sphinctered approach to the world would cause anything but a few ripples in the family cistern. 
Their foresight is closer to their noses than Ben Franklin’s square-rimmed glasses.

Goldman Sachs studied the corporate world as far back as the 80’s and accurately predicted the future as a series of failed leveraged buy-outs and me-too fads of bottom-line feeding in lieu of real investment, led by bean counter MBAs whose only goal was a temporary boost in short term profits.  In those terms, the ultra-wealthy who followed that lead have done remarkably well:  The nation and its people be damned. 
    The multinationals could care less about any specific country.  They float from place to place, mansion to yacht, private jet to stretch limo, with allegiance to nothing but profit.

The class warfare ended long ago:  the wealthy won. 

As for me, I converted my IRA into commodity speculation:  wax lips futures.

Conservatives and conservative media have taken the stand that the stock market fell because NOT ENOUGH money was cut from the budget.  Wall Street wanted 4 trillion cut.

Maybe the President really is brilliant, as well as devious, and he foresaw the stock market would plunge if he signed the debt ceiling bill, thus getting his revenge on Wall Street and his rulers.

Though I’m sure Goldman et.al. will make money no matter what the market does, it’s difficult to imagine an arrogant blowhard like Blankfein selling himself short.

SteveL, August 4 at 8:59 pm Link to this comment

Who’s bright idea was it to hold the economy hostage?
***********

Most likely the Koch Brothers, through the shills they funded, the Tea Party.

Who’s bright idea was it to hold the economy hostage?

Remember those green shoots…way back when…bullshit will only take you so far…

There has never been any recovery, no improvement in the economy..

The corporations keep sending jobs overseas at a record pace, G.E., then Ford…those
that run the corporations keep on doing what got us here, Americans will never, never,
begin consuming again under this business climate, things will only continue to get
worse…

Until Wall Street is prosecuted for financial crimes, along with the mortgage industry and
the banks, Glass Stegal restored, government regulatory agencies like FDA, USDA
restored to independence from plutocratic control, derivatives outlawed completely, and
corporations fined for sending jobs overseas, there will never be any recovery.

And it will never happen because the plutocracy will fight it tooth and nail, even if it
destroys this country…...So that’s what will happen, This country will soon be destroyed
financially, there will be no return.

It only took two days for the 40 year argument of the Supply Siders to be crushed by Keynesian facts.  Here’s another one: Supply means NOTHING without demand.  Who cares if you have a corner on the market for chariot hubs, when nobody drives chariots?

Demand drives everything. EVERYONE needs food, clothing, shelter, transportation, communication, health care and education.

As dumb-ass stupid as the Stock Market is, compared to Congress (and especially the TeaParty) they are all fuckin’ Einsteins!  Sure, they don’t want their taxes and their corporate shells taxed.  But they know that if the BIGGEST actor in the economy cuts its spending by trillions, hundreds of thousands of businesses will fail, throwing millions more out of work, defaulting on debts that will cause hundreds of thousands more businesses to fail.  And who will be there, bottom-feeding? The “Mr. Potter"s of the world.
“Only you and I kept our heads, George. You saved the Building & Loan and I saved the rest!”
“Some say stole it!”
“The suckers, George!”

That’s the paradigm of today’s politics and today’s ethics by the same people who shout about family values…while they cheat on their wives and cheat on paying child support, for their own children.

The crap is hitting the fan sooner rather than later. Time for all the gutless and
stupid to face reality. The wars and the killing were accepted, the criminal banking
behavior was accepted, Obama’s lies were believed. Time to pay the piper
suckers. Watch as the well heeled fly away to more friendly and secure climes to
leave the rest holding the bag. Thank God for offshore accounts and private
security. Get ready for a cold hungry winter folks.