SAR #10257

“What goes up must come down” applies to civilizations.

How Much A Barrel?  The administration plans to sell $60 billion worth of advanced fighter jets, helicopters and other arms to Saudi Arabia in exchange for an undisclosed amount of oil. And for balance, does Israel get $61 billion?

Happier Days:  Before you get too excited about the “monster rally” in stocks, remember that the Dow is still down 25% from its highs and NASDAQ is still down 51%.  Party responsibly.

Shell Game:  If a company borrows money in order to buy back its own stock, is this a good deal for investors?  Wouldn't it be better if they could make money selling products at a profit?

Switcheroo:  John Boehner now says he will support a tax cut for the middle class if it is the only way Republicans can get elected, but is over-ruled by Mitch McConnell who says that if the richest 2% can’t add $700 billion to the deficit, those making under $50,000 don't get squat.

Proud to be an American:  The United States continues to get poorer, going ever more into debt rescuing banks and fighting wars for obscure reasons while its citizens descend into poverty (45 million people, 20% of all children live in poverty – the third highest poverty rate among developed nations).  Let's worry about Social Security shortfalls that will start in 2035 – to hell with the poor and the homeless, they don't contribute to re-election campaigns vote.

Toe The Line:  Almost everything you learn about Venezuela in the MSM is (a) wrong, (b) distorted, (c ) propaganda or (d) all of the above.

And the Goal Was?  The government's housing programs have been viewed as failures, but when you realize these programs were intended to safeguard the big banks and big lenders at homeowners’ expense, you can see how successful they have been.  If banks were forced to actually fairly value all the bad loans they are carrying at 100%, the whole thing would come tumbling down.

Religious Wars: I don't care whether or not a mosque is built here or there.  Catholic churches are a much larger threat to our children.

Talking His Book:  Warren Buffett – the stock investor – claims to see “a huge recovery across all of our businesses happening right now.”  So run out and buy some shares in what he owns so their price will go up.

A Must Read:  It is time to question the very basis of our economy, “the assumption that the lower classes need to take pay cuts and layoffs so global bondholders and Chase bankers can be paid in full,” the unexamined belief that “ lower class pay cuts are good for the economy while at the same time increased rent extraction by the financial class is good for the economy.”

Make A Wish:  Newt Gingrich has endorsed a GOP plan to slash Medicare and Social Security “in an ostensible effort to end the budget deficit once they gain control of the budget process, following Paul Ryan's “America's Roadmap”.   The Ryan plan to privatize Social Security will, Newt says, “triple the earnings” of Wall Street future retirees.  The plan would neither balance the budget nor seriously reduce the national debt.

Enough Said:  Under the Affordable Advantage program at least one family was able to buy a $115,000 house with only $0.67 of their own money.  The rest, dear reader, came from you.

Gimmie More!  Ever tell your doctor that you don't want that blood work done, that scan done, another test run, to see the specialist?  Nope.  One of the reasons US health care costs so much is because there's so damned much of it.  It's like collecting Webkins.

Tightly Wrapped:  “War is an aggressive socialist program that threatens private property and freedom of contract, menaces the currency, and destabilizes commerce. In all these ways, war is one of the greatest threats to the capitalist order.” And here I thought war was not healthy for children and other living things.

Porn O'Graph:  Coincidence or causation?