I don’t know Stiglitz from Adam’s off ox, but Krugman is typical of the pundits who don’t see it coming when it is obvious, and who complain loudly about not being consulted more than anything else.

I’d worry more about having Krugman on Obama’s side than I do about his bitching. If *I* saw it coming the day the Dow went over 7000, and *I* knew it would be BACK, Krugman should have known it and been protesting loud and long, but he let it pass and let the bigwigs do as they did.

My guess? Jon Stewart is a better economist than Krugman; I don’t know about Stiglitz. Why don’t you ask Scott Ritter what HE thinks about it all?

GENE

I have pictures of that scene OK MY GOD what horror existed then and looks as if today too. So the many of us that think right not wrong must take a stand now and get to work. 

Two famous Generals headed up the attack on our own troops Patton and Eisenhower. Now what that told me about them brought sorrow. How sick can some become that have been scarred by war?

Dwight

MY TAKE ON OBAMA

He has impressed me as a field general——takes it all in——the goes to the side and meditates—

I believe he is posturing now in that mindset

If folks are concerned about his personal well being DO THIS send him and E-mail or letter and tell him so.

Along with that——- recommend that he get a platoon of Navy Seals to come watch his back 24/7 and the only person they would take orders from would be him.  They would live in the White House when on duty for the next on duty to take over.  He needs that right now——the neo-cons still have 5 to 7 thousand pundits buried deep and wide in the military and political system in Washington DC and he knows it——I know it and we must help him do something about it.

Dwight Baker We The Peoples Advocacy WTPA

“Obama MAY be the corporatist some fear he is, OR it may be that he’s merely interested in avoiding the fate of JFK, RFK, and MLK.”
This pathetic excuse.
Obama had no business to run if his excuse for capitulation is fear for his own hide. Imagine MLK giving himself that cover. Basically it is a set-up to allow him not to carry out change on any front- and to serve the status quo in the interests of personal security.

TRUTHDIG GET TO IT ———-EXPOSING THESE HIDEOUS FOES—-FOR US

WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO———-TO KNOW WHO FOLKS REALLY ARE?

I think we are a little if not a lot insane to go around with our heads in the clouds never reading much——- but funny books or the stock market news——or watching a little or maybe a lot of the now televized VIEWS that is meant to turn all our real attention to moronic half baked stuff making no senese or reason.

And the inference is to make us fearfull of something just expected.  OH NO———IS THAT DUMB OR DUMBER OR DUMBERTERNER? You be the judge. 

Well for those who care and have concern who is for and who is not for our best interest and who is or who does not have our best interest at heart———

Here is just one list of those that run with the group called the BILDERBERGS. 

Google and find out. 

That might be fun——-run down to the bottom to find out what the BILDERBERGS real agenda is about——clue look for the term re-animalized man. OH NO COULD THAT BE A CONSPIRACY THEORY?????

George W. Ball[6] (1954-1992), former U.S. diplomat

John Edwards[7][8]

Gerald Ford[9]

Bill Clinton[10] (1991), former US President, 1993 - 2001

Jon Corzine (1995 - 1997[4], 1999, 2003, 2004), former US Senator, current Governor of New Jersey

Richard N. Haass (1991, 2003, 2004[11]), president, Council on Foreign Relations

Lee H. Hamilton (1997[4]), former US Congressman

Christian Herter[12] (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Secretary of State

Joseph E. Johnson[13] (1954), former President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Henry Kissinger[11] (1957, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1977-2003, 2004, 2005-2008), Secretary of State, 1973 - 1977

Sam Nunn (1996, 1997[4]), former US Senator

Rick Perry[14] (2007), Current Governor of Texas

Kathleen Sebelius[15], Kansas governor and nominee for the the Health and Human Services secretary post

Timothy Geithner[16], Treasury Secretary

Lawrence Summers[17], Director of the National Economic Council

Paul Volcker[18], Chair of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board

A public service announcement by
DWIGHT BAKER We the Peoples Advocacy. WTPA
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@ daga

IMO, it’s “yes and yes.”

You added to what Jon said.  I agree with both of you.  It’s true that Bill Clinton is being re-evaluated now and rightly so.  Anyway, I completely agree and further argue that 100% public financing of campaigns (despite the Supreme Court controversially declaring money to be free speech) is essential!

@ xrxs1020 -

You wrote:  “By pressuring president Obama to the be as progressive we want him to be, are we forcing him to risk JFK’s fate?”

NO.  First of all what pressure?  I don’t see much yet directly expressed to him - just anger in progressive blogs (some).  The idea that progressives will cower in fear of the plutocracy is a white flag of surrender to them - cowardly!

BOUNTY HUNTERS OR OTHERS NEEDED TO CATCH THE GREEDY

Who in the press, politicians, judges, and the main steam big giants of power in intellect, accounting, economist, or whom ever—- that uses the TERM MISSING MONEY that is used by world financial folks want to call them to task and ask a good question, WHERE IS THE MONEY? They say there has been a LOSS $54TRILLION OR MORE I think they know less than many bank robbers. 

When a bank robber takes away the banks money—-the banks declare a loss.  But the bank robber knows what he did with it and where he hid it.

So if no one knows where that $54TRILLION ends up, then I again would say——- those folks are less smart than a bank robber.

Now I think we can all agree it was not sent to the moon or Mars or to the bottom of the ocean in a nuclear sub.  But where is it? 

So what we need to do is hire us some BOUNTY HUNTERS and turn them loose to get to doing what they do best—-making a living off of other folks misery.

HECK FIRE pays them 15cents on the dollar of what is recovered.  Black Water might need to make some more bucks.  Or the mafia bosses might think that is a good deal and get in on it too. 

BUT who can trust any of that bunch to do what is right?

So maybe the best bet is to bring in some of our real good soldiers like the AIR BORNE RANGERS——GREEN BERETS——-NAVY SEALS and deputized them to go out and about looking for all that cash.

Got to be somewhere. But right now NO ONE KNOWS???????

DWIGHT BAKER Chairman for the Grass Roots Actions needed to form our own truth filled lobby in Washington DC. We the Peoples Advocacy WTPA.
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Not interested in ‘One Trick Pony’ ideas..we need step by step plans to unravel 30 yrs of deregualtion and corruption.
Who’s $1 do they think is buried beneath those $40 of leveraged Toxic Assets? Considering it’s the ‘ratings’ firms who opened the Vault Doors to our ‘safe’ investment accounts..I’m guessing it’s all our Retirement funds.Who wants to tell the American People our Nesteggs have been crushed. I’m guessing that’s where all that ‘unaacounted’ money is going- being shoveled as fast as possible back into the ‘nest’. Oh we’re pissed about the possiblities of Huge Taxes, but we will hit the streets if we find those peices of paper aren’t worth the paper their printed on.
Do we really think these two Acedemia Gurus know what has truely happened. Lest we forget the concept of ‘Trickle Down’ was also spawned from the Halls of those who teach and do not do.Let’s all give a big round of applause to the various schools of Economics who not only pushed this treasonous doctrine, but have failed to call it what it truely is for the last 30 yrs- Feudalism.
I figure Geitner knows it’s more than merely his reputation on the line- but his neck. Just like ‘Sammy the Bull’ we need someone who knows first hand the workings of the orgnaized Crimes Syndicate Called Wall Street- to tell US where the bodies are buried, who put them there and how to avoid any ‘booby Traps’ along the way.
If they thought the solution to this economic meltdown was easy- they would have never revealed it to begin with. This is an absolute Clusterfuck that a one or even two Trick Pony will not resolve.Ever play ‘Jinga’? One wrong Pull or push and the tower collapses.Stratedgic Finesse and patience, along with a steady hand. Still Believe Obama is the Smartest man in the room.No hunk of metal is going to convince me otherwise, unless they are able to put forth a real step by step plan and provide an Absolute Guarantee it will work.

Krugman’s and Stiglitz’s nationalization proposals are like the republicans budget - no numbers. 

When they figure out how much their plans will cost, let me know and I will listen to what they have to say.

OBAMA - NOT GOOD: _GREAT_

We know that Obama is a _great_ politician. If you were a betting man or woman, it would be smart to bet that Geithner is the sacrificial goat. And his throat will be slashed at the appropriate moment.

Possibly metaphorically, but if not, hey, we all have to make sacrifices now and Geithner _is_ the author of the financial apocalypse, after all.

Alexander Cockburn at Counterpunch -=

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn03272009.html

Michael Moore to administer the cure? - “This won’t hurt a bit.” -

http://blogs.poz.com/mark/upload/Michael_Moore_Sicko_Movie.jpg

Obama MAY be the corporatist some fear he is, OR it may be that he’s merely interested in avoiding the fate of JFK, RFK, and MLK.  Of course, either way, the results in terms of Right wing power centers are similar.  Which is to say, Obama will continue to tantalize us with some decisions and disappoint us with others.  I’m mystified at some of his decisions (no single payer, won’t touch marijuana decriminalization, choosing Geithner, etc.) But it all might be explained by his simple desire to not end up like the aforementioned (assassinated) heros. 

Let’s not kid ourselves.  Right wing racists and oligarchs are as powerful as ever (in fact, more powerful, because they’ve had a 24/7 radio industry to trumpet their hate for twenty years).  They don’t take kindly to upstarts who would actually represent the middle class.  They play hardball.  People like this are responsible for three major assassinations enacted pretty much in plain view.  And they get away with it. 

None of this is rocket science, thus none of this could escape the attention of Barack Obama. 

By pressuring president Obama to the be as progressive we want him to be, are we forcing him to risk JFK’s fate?

Response to post
E.J. good post we need more info with facts stated as NEWS not views.

Response to Radio Address over TRUTHDIG
AMY GOODMAN, I heard your radio address four times I love your ideas views and the ways you put your

WHAT ARE THE LACKS TODAY
THAT SWARMS IN LIKE VULTURES TO DEVOUR?

Amid all the confusion of what is good and what is bad for our economy the missing link is the need for real not perceived technology innovation?

And to put it blunt seldom has anything of any real consequence in technology of building cars, trucks, drilling rigs, big tugs or the likes ever come from the top down.  Look at the patents filed and see where they come from.  The workforce those hands on guys and girls that has made America what if was and could be again have been shunned when the big push began to put in CEO that had not a clue of the business of making cars, trucks or other mechanical things but they were buds with other CEO’s and knew how to work both ends at the same time for their personal wealth.

Example what could Dick Cheney done to help Halliburton be a better company when he was at the top of the heap there?  Dick Cheney could not find oil at a filling station much less out and about in the oil patch. He was put in that position to do what he did structure crooked deals with the Russians to get Chevron the grand prize in the Giant oil find the Tengiz in the Caspian Sea.

So for us We The People to ever gain any long term respect for those that climb to the peak of corporate summits, we better be sure those guys have more than an MBA.  Heck any one can cut corners and crunch the little guy down to make profit.  But who can sustain the growth of a giant enterprise like GM, that stay clueless of how to build cars, trucks, have hands on insight how to do a better job, build better products that last longer and so on.

Case in point when Toyota made their debut in America they did so by introducing a four cylinder engine that was an exact copy of the straight in line six 300 cu in, GM had been putting in trucks and cars for years. Toyota just dropped two of the cylinders and sized a few things down stayed with all the same designs put that engine in a smaller car and they were in business.  And China is doing the same today they are clueless how to create but their thievery has been perfected. China has broken the codes to the Pentagon and stolen stuff from us there. 

So from the archives of history people should learn today that building walls is not a bad idea at all.  But the bigger problem today is that the non-trickle down effect has not got to some but it will.  For in the end the only ones to have are the BIG BARONS OF OLD.  And all else of us are just slaves to their systems of UN justice, and the lacks of equity in all things.

DWIGHT BAKER Chairman of Grass Roots Actions We The Peoples Advocacy WTPA more info .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

thanks for the info, Jackpine.

Oh, I forgot to mention that without OUTLAWING derivatives, Obama is fated to a merry-go-round of bailouts that the taxpayers can’t sustain.

We’re being bled by Wall St.

I believe along with Nassim Taleb that derivatives need to be OUTLAWED

Mr Taleb Goes To Washington (see p.2)
http://tbm.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2009/03/26/mr-taleb-goes-washington

““With complex derivatives unmasked and, in Taleb’s vision of the future, outlawed, the next step is to create a more robust version of capitalism. Taleb calls it Capitalism 2.0.”“

This is kind of a play on globalizationist Thomas Friedman’s Capitalism 2.uh-oh !

Uh, E.J., the banks ARE insolvent !

A large part of the problem is no one has a handle on the extent of the “toxic assets” and that is partly President Obama’s fault and partly Sec. Geithner’s fault and partly the MEDIA’S fault. A little noticed article, Steve Pizzo’s Follow The Numbers shows us that speculative derivatives numbers are overwhelming the world’s banking system

““Here’s the breakdown, according to the International Bank of Settlements, which acts as banker for the world’s central banks:

1) Listed credit derivatives stood at USD 548 trillion;
2. The Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivatives stood in notional or face value at USD 596 trillion”

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Follow-The-Numbers-by-Stephen-Pizzo-090302-530.html

World derivative debt is $1.14 Quadrillion USD. For the US banks share of that see Table 1, page 22 of 33 at

http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/release/2008-152a.pdf

The jig is up folks. The US banks are essentially bankrupt, with $10.5 trillion in assets vs. $176 trillion in derivative debts.

At the April 2nd G20 meeting world leaders should WRITE OFF this toxic speculative derivative ‘debt’.

Put in further perspective, the entire world’s GDP, according to the CIA’s world book, is $71 trillion USD annually. Compare that with that $1.14 quadillion and you now understand that a huge transfer of wealth is taking place, crowding out legitimate recovery efforts.

March 24, 2009
To the Honorable President Barack Obama
Of the Untied States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
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OPEN LETTER—- To whom it must concern

Mr. President,

I am but one voice in America today that has your interest at heart. My words are fashioned best as I can. So what I propose or say is never meant to bring any one or any thing into being called intent to deride or chide. 

Thanks for all the good work you are doing, and in keeping with your status as our President.  We have prayed that you would not back down or cower to anyone.
Many of WE THE PEOPLE are proud to be Americans and we are NOT inane of political science and the actions needed to protect and insure our equity in justice. And because of that we respect your work and for those high and lofty goals to be the centerpiece of your Administration. With you as our solicitous vanguard we do have HOPE once more. In you taking the lead with your strong and strident voice and will in words and deeds to overcome all the many things, people and matters facing our solvency and sovereignty in our rich and abundant America.

One of the most vocal matters that is discussed daily in the televised media and printed News has been –—- when and where is the real CHANGE going to come from as promised.  Many good a moral folks and I too have been your devoted staunch and strong allies for each step you have taken. And seems now a new chilly wind from a bad direction has begun to blow.  In my perception that is because many of your very close cabinet appointees and confidants have a proven track record that is not very good and that comes from their affiliations with groups and societies that have un-sound and un-reasonable long-term goals that have severe lacks of care and concern for our rights to life in our rich and abundant America that we have clung to in our communities and Constitution.

The following list was furnished by WIKI about those active today in your administration that has been apart of the Bilderberg Group.

Mr. President we elected you to set the stage for change and with those listed on your staff now—- how can you do that? Obviously you have your work cut out for you to reform our government to integrity… and genuinely caring and working with the highest good of all in mind. You have a tall task you have taken on and we salute you and back you anyway we can.

Their connectivity to others around the world that have a different strategy about the way we should go——I think it is NOT as a sovereign solvent nation with our own self interest at the core of all we do——if their plans are implemented that will simply lead us to change not but for more of the same.  And to bypass that end game some things that you could do in the way things go for us——- would be:

Richard N. Haass (1991, 2003, 2004[11]), president, Council on Foreign Relations
Christian Herter[12] (1961, 1963, 1964, 1966), former Secretary of State
Sam Nunn (1996, 1997[4]), former US Senator
Kathleen Sebelius[15], Kansas governor and nominee for the the Health and Human Services secretary post
Timothy Geithner[16], Treasury Secretary
Lawrence Summers[17], Director of the National Economic Council
Paul Volcker[18], Chair of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board

March 24, 2009
To the Honorable President Barack Obama PART TWO

1.  The best measure as our President Commander and Chief to do now so that you would have many more ideas put on the table to think about would be——To hold one if not more Strategic Planning and Development Stimulus Summits—- with or without any of your staff and cabinet members or close confidants in the loop now——then arrange for many other good Americans that are noteworthy with credentials in scholarship and proven track records in name honor and recognition to attend and allow them to have your ear for at least three consecutive days.  That you might hear many others opinions and suggestion why and how to move forward then that might bring another perspective of what needs to be done now.

2.  Each passing day in America is filled with insidious, hideous and tenuous stuff as was the days when the BUSH BUNCH GANG was in power doing their THANGS.  And because of that—- things must change now you know that wholeheartedly, so please don’t wait——to make the Strategic Planning and Development Stimulus Summit one of the matters most important on your agenda.

3.  Now my suspicions are like many—- if a Strategic Planning and Development Stimulus Summit or one of like kind——- is not done soon by you——then your men might with their faulted and failed plans prevail.

4.  The Bilderberg Group agendas are very clear they are out to protect the accumulation of wealth held by the old line and some new Barons [or benefactors of the spoils of war] to do what is best for them in exclusionary measures no matter what is best for the people affected. Because in their grand scheme of doing things all their goals are about exclusion for all reasons.

One thing for sure all of us agree you have guts to want the job of being our President to lead us out of the espionage and sabotage done by some corrupting our Nation that has been going on for a long time.  And one thing you can count on us for doing——is watching your back day and night, best as we can. 

What ever you need us to do just tell us.  Give us BIG JOBS to do——there is a lot of folks that will work for free to help us get back on our feet——WHY—- They like me love this our home America——- think about holding a SUMMIT with the many others that have a good heartbeat from the grass roots of the American folks right now.

As in all good things——change comes little by little and we should not rush any longer to put out fires that might be needed to burn down the old failed ways of doing business as usual——- that has us in the fix we are in.

Best regards

Dwight Baker
Co –Founder of the Bondservants of Christ Jesus Ministries
Chairman of the Voices of We the Peoples Lobby now [Advocacy or WTPA] grass roots actions
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psickmind fraud,

GM doesn’t make the Hummer.  They make the civilian version of the Humvee, which amounts to AM General selling the naming rights.  The first civilian Hummers were actual Humvees (with lead weights bolted here and there to make them weigh enough that they didn’t have to pass passenger vehicle crash tests).  That isn’t the case anymore.

The Hummer you see on the road is just a full size GM SUV with a bunch of plastic body panels tacked on.  And they are completely useless for anything more treacherous than the pavement of the cul-de-sac.  They aren’t the same vehicle.

Obama does not think there currently exist social movements in this country that would empower him to take bolder action.  As a former community organizer, he is very sensitive to what he believes is the current distribution of power.

You don’t have to trust them, JP. You just have to live with them.

Obama earned the right to solve this mess the way he sees best. We can bark warnings and criticisms from the sidelines, but lets face it, we’re not in the game. And that’s as it should be. After a year or two…well, we have political ways to send a message of discontent.

This isn’t like complaining about Bush, who was torturing, invading countries unprovoked, and spying on Americans without a warrant.

@Jon

This president is getting the same signals that Congress has been getting since Reagan:  its all about the military industrial complex, banks, and corporate power

Yes and no.
It is true that US’ downturn started with Reagan, but what made the situation worse was Clinton and the democrats abandonment of its traditional powerbase-the unions and the progressives to catch up with the republican advantage in funding (from as you said-the MIRBs (Military Industrial Robber Barons)) in the mid- 1990ies.
  I believe the only way you can take your country back is to put an end to corporate financing of political campaigns and impose restrictions on K-street.

Jackpine, I might just add 3)Obama has over 22 million reasons to act as the financial sector desires, whereas Krugman, Stiglitz and all the other economists I’ve read don’t have those monetary influences on their judgement. 

On another note, if we don’t have GM, what will the Army and Marines do for vehicles without the Hummers? Smart cars?

President Obama, like President Bill Clinton before him, is reluctant to tangle with special interests he deems too powerful:  Wall Street, the health insurance industry (no to single payer), the Israel lobby.  Obama is quite cautious.

The differences between the two sides of the economic debate are rooted in two things:

1. Some are using numbers, history, and facts while others are using hope and belief.

2. Some are speaking from a fairly objective point of view while others are chin deep in a mess that they created.

Who would you believe?

And Obama’s team is working on the belief that there was nothing fundamentally wrong with how the system operated prior to breaking down (though if it was working very well it probably wouldn’t have broken down…the bad economy is a result of the breakdown, not the cause of the breakdown).

Plenty of top-notch economists, investors, and business types were warning about the problems several years ago…yet the administration is holding fast to the “no one could have seen this coming” rationale.

I guess will just have to subsist on Hope(Tm), because there doesn’t look to be any of the explanations offered by the likes of Krugman and Stiglitz coming from the administration.  It all boils down to “trust us”.