America’s breathtaking ignorance on our decline

World According to America

By John Blythe

The photograph above is one that I found on the internet and it is meant to be funny, although it certainly illustrates how ignorant America has become on just about everything, while we continue to experience increased decline at an accelerated basis.

Newsflash: We’re not a superpower anymore and we’re not number 1 anymore!

For the third year in a row, we have had an annual budget deficit of over $1.3 trillion. Unfortunately, many Americans have no idea how staggering this is becoming. Since 1976, we have had negative trade deficits every single year because the United States does not produce enough of its own product. In other words, we spend more than what we take in. America has become the principal world consumer, if you will.

Currently, the U.S. federal tax revenue is roughly over $2.2 trillion, while our national debt is more than $14 trillion and the unfunded liabilities is now more than $116 trillion.

Does anyone have any idea how much $116 trillion is? It is unsustainable. This is the money that is supposed to be used for Medicare and Social Security programs. So for someone that is currently 25 years of age, by the time they turn 65, that is if the United States is even in existence at that point, they will most likely not receive any of those benefits.

According to the National Inflation Association, even if you taxed everyone in this country 100% of their personal income, it still would not be enough to fully fund the U.S. Federal Government. Even if the antisemitic sycophant himself, George Soros gave his entire multi-billion fortune to the government, it would only fund this nation’s budget deficit for about two weeks. But we have people out on Wall Street shouting tax the rich!

CHANGE

by Jessica Contreras

Bringing the End The Fed message to OccupyLA

By Jason Mahakian

FrontierlandPost.com

October 8, 2011

 No more than 15 people along with myself from the EndTheFed Group of Los Angeles held a Protest at the Federal Reserve Branch in Los Angeles On Saturday, October 8.  I’m happy to report that there were two members of Oathkeepers with us as well.  We held our picket signs there for about an hour and a half, under the watch of private security guards, no LAPD here.  What I first noticed was that there was no signage on the building save an engraved brass door handle, obviously wanting to draw little attention to itself.   On the sidewalk, the organizer with a bullhorn led the rest of us with raised voices proclaiming various facts pertaining to The Fed, receiving support from cars that honked as they passed by.

The coming of an "American" Spring?

Wall Street protests

By John Blythe

Thousands of protesters organized on Wall Street two weeks ago and since then, protests have spread across the country from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles. Over the weekend more than 700 protesters were arrested for blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge while demanding for the reform of corporate America.

There are some interesting parallels with relation to the Tea Party and the Wall Street protests. The liberal left in the country has criticized the Tea Party since 2009 because they have called for smaller government, less taxes and decrease in federal spending. Now the conservative right in this country are calling the Wall Street protests an act of trying to reform capitalism.

Here’s the real truth. The Tea Party does have active liberals who want to see a decrease in major government and the Wall Street protests also has conservatives who are fed up with corporate greed and corruption. Some on the right are saying that the Wall Street protests should be held in Washington, D.C. There is some truth to this, because the root of our problems stem from Washington D.C. I can’t think of anything better than to see the Tea Party and the Wall Street protesters unite as one! We could have a real revolution for a change.

But we sometimes fail to acknowledge that the real people that put our failed politicians in Washington to begin with, are the powers of Wall Street and the powers of unions. After all the $700 billion blank check bailout was specially designed for them and their cronies, kindly paid for by you, the American tax payer.

Some of the protesters on Wall Street have called for rather radical changes such as replacing capitalism with communist ideals. In this country, communism cannot work. We saw the dismantling of communism in countries in the late 1980’s: Soviet Union, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia as people wanted real democracy. But it seems like some people in this country which established democracy, want to see the United States revert to communism because it is more “fair” even though the people of those European and Asian countries fled to escape its wrath!

RON PAUL 2012 END THE FED VIDEO

Will Obama and GOP Presidential candidates get serious about our problems?

By John Blythe

Over the weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend the California Republican Party convention in downtown Los Angeles and I was able to meet Texas Congressman and Presidential candidate Ron Paul. While there are some foreign policy issues that I disagree with the Congressman on, many of his domestic policies in particular our economic issues I do favor and it was a privilege to listen to him speak and motivate the Los Angeles crowd especially when it comes to our enormous financial problems in this country.

Unfortunately, many of the other Republican candidates do not seem to understand the full complexity of our country’s economic conditions. Why should they? For the most part, they’re all owned by the corporations and the media. You have Fox News giving attention to Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, while MSNBC, owned by General Electric, gives enormous favor-ability to President Obama and his re-election campaign.

For the better part of two and a half years, we have heard time and time again from President Obama addressing job growth. Well fortunately, little has happened. The “green jobs” initiative is proving to become an absolute failure, particularly wit the recent Solyndra collapse. Unemployment is around 9.1% and millions more are still unemployed and no longer receiving government assistance; furthermore, there is growing speculation over the global economy and major concerns that the United States’ monetary and fiscal policies will trigger another recession.

There are some very disturbing facts about the current crisis. In addition to the $14 trillion national debt and over $60 trillion in unfunded liabilities, it would be nice to hear President Obama and the GOP Presidential candidates discuss other issues that are impacting our already growing financial problems; here’s a short list of statistics, such as:

– State and local governments debt has reached more than 22% of U.S. GDP and all of the 50 states combined are short $3.2 trillion of what they need to meet their pension funds.
– State governments across America are having to sell off buildings to investors just to pay their obligations.
– One in every seven Americans has ten credit cards.
– The disasters from the BP oil spill, tornadoes in the South East and the flood damage on the East Coast have cost billions of dollars, while FEMA is becoming more strapped for cash.
– 45 million people are on food stamps and the U.S. Census Bureau found more than 45 million people are living in poverty.
– USA Today reported in April that the U.S. Bureau of Labor found only 45.4% of Americans held a job in 2010.
– Oil companies bring in nearly $200 billion in pre-tax profits, yet they receive more than $4.4 billion in tax breaks.
– Price of gasoline in the last year has gone up by 30%.
– Because of the devaluation of the U.S. dollar, there is a prediction we may go back to the gold standard.
– One out of six Americans are on Medicaid.
– The growing securities derivatives speculation on Wall Street which is largely unregulated, could burst, according to Warren Buffet.
– Housing market in its worst shape since the Great Depression; prices have fallen by more than 33% from the peak of the housing bubble.
– The IMF is worried that the European debt crisis could cause a global economic collapse.
– An average of 50,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost per month to China since 2001; our trade deficit with China is 27 times larger than it was more than 20 years ago.
– College tuition has gone up more than 900% since 1978.
– The collective debt of government sponsored lending agencies including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Sallie Mae is more than $6.3 trillion, with tax payers on the hook.

This is just a tip of the iceberg of growing concerns Americans should know about, with relation to the U.S. economy, but rather seldom, do you hear President Obama or the so-called “front runners” of the GOP race, address these problems. And if they do address these problems, they tap dance around the issues and come up with failed policies on how to fix them. How can you fix something that simply cannot be fixed?

Part of the problem in addressing this crisis however is the ignorance of the American people. They either choose to believe what the mainstream news media tells them, or they’re simply not interested and blinded by partisan views. The truth of the matter is, Washington D.C. continues to fill the American public with lies and distortion and feeding it to the mainstream news media.

Yet the American people continue to re-elect the same morons to represent us.

By the 2012 election, does anyone in this country sincerely believe President Obama or any of the GOP candidates will get serious about our problems? And I’m talking about ALL OF THE PROBLEMS… No spinning, no tap dancing, no failed strategies…

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that it is unlikely any of them will get serious by next year.

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP; SALES OF FALSE ADVERTISEMENT

Written by Dante L. Balandra

 

The Preamble states, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” (p. A-1).

Seriously, what is the problem of America? What happened to “Land of the free and home of the brave”? Although it pains me to say that, as a once thriving country of agriculture, manufactured goods and services; a strong and powerful military; and a country of opportunity and economic growth, we are at a standstill. Yes, the United States cannot recover from a dire economical windfall, continued higher taxes, and yes, poverty. Why? Well, I believe that the problems are due to poor leadership and false sales. Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (2009) explain, “Leadership is a complex phenomenon involving the leader, the followers, and the situations” (p. 4). In other words, the President of the United States is the leader, “we the people” are the followers, and the economical down-fall, corporation control, poor credit, out-sourcing of manufactured goods and services, poverty, corruption, and Amendments amending Amendments achieving short-term objectives verse long-term objectives represent a small portion of the situations, which are problems that need to be addressed and dealt with.

With leadership defined and the attributes of regarding leadership, followers, and situations distinguished, the next focus will shift to sales. Yes, sales are vital, especially to the Presidential race and the Presidency itself. Mr. Obama was able to sell himself with his mission of “CHANGE”. My fellow Americans, I bought into this change and he did it. He succeeded in creating change. We must give the President congratulations on accomplishing huge debt, the continued increase of unemployment rates, the continual efforts to make corporate business a process of government, and a poor credit rating country. Of course we must also appraise his efforts to raise over a billion dollars to finance his re-election. Kudos, Mr. President… Although the United States is struggling to survive, I’m glad that you can eagerly support your re-election campaign.

As an American with a voice to be heard, I want to know…

“When are our leaders going to take strides to fulfill the continued fight for freedom? When are our leaders going to realize that ‘We the people’ have voices, ideas, strategies, opinions, needs and wants, and demand to become great once again? It is not a difficult task to be an effective and productive leader. One must be a person of character, have integrity, be honest, and do what he/she says they will do”…

Perhaps, if this achieved, then the United States will become great once again. President John F. Kennedy said it best, “Ask not what your country can do for you-but what you can do for your country”. The people have lived to that expectation, but our leaders have not. How does American’s feel about the leader, President of the United States, also have the title of Commander-in-Chief, without ever serving in the military?

To be fair, change is needed, but change begins at the leadership level. Yes, we need an individual who is going to stand by what he/she says. No exception. The United States needs to have a leader who will keep government separate from corporate business, stop out-sourcing services, and focus less on supporting the 130+ countries and focus on the dire economic ruins of the United States. Yes, it is necessary to take care of our own before we can take care of others. Leaders need to quit selling lies and begin focusing on the truths that exist. We need to make a stand, and that stand begins with change.

Mr. Obama once stated, “A true leader would have the tenacity to stand by their promise. Unfortunately, your needs come last and the needs, promises, and demands of the American people come first and foremost.”

To raise funds for re-election purposes should come second, Mr. Obama.

If Mr. Obama cannot take ownership, then why waste America’s time? Let someone else take the initiative, have the motivation, and actually make changes that all Americans can benefit from. However, I believe that Mr. Obama is making a push to create jobs, believing that by doing so, will secure a re-election. America is too smart for that. You had your shot, Mr. Obama, but now it’s time for someone new.

By Jessica Contreras Copyright 2011

House debt plan falls apart… 4 days left.

By John Blythe

John Blythe

House Speaker John Boehner’s plan to cut more than $917 billion in government spending in an attempt to raise the country’s debt ceiling by next week, fell apart at the last minute yesterday. Apparently, the head of the house, was unable to muster the support of the majority of Republicans and as a result, there was no vote. Boehner’s chief co-hort,  Kevin McCarthy, who is actually the Congressman from my home district, told reporters “no vote tonight” after a handful of Republicans bowed out at the last minute.

Why are they surprised? It would have been a waste of time anyway, because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insisted any such proposal that passed the House, would immediately fail in the Senate… dead on arrival.

Senator Reid is moving forward on his own plan. His plan includes some provisions of government spending and also tax increases on the wealthy, all of which, House Speaker Boehner and other Republicans are largely against. Reid has called on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to work on a debt compromise before Tuesday… we’ll see how well that works out.

As for Speaker Boehner? Well, he is generating a great deal of resentment from Tea-Party activists who view Boehner as someone who “stabbed them in the back” for trying to reach a compromise. As it is now, Boehner is loosing a great deal of the support he had at the beginning of the year.

Why would anyone even bother compromising with people that have destroyed this country anyway?

7 Days and Counting…

By John Blythe

John Blythe

We have seven days until this country apparently defaults on its financial obligations… quick news flash… the country is pretty much in a technical default already.

On Monday evening, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner gave viewpoints on both sides of the proposals being debated in Washington. Remember when President Obama talked about transparency in government or asking Americans to voice their concerns? Where in the world are they? Or better yet, how can Americans find any compromise? Part of the country does not want to pay any more in taxes because they can’t afford it; just look at the cost of living and prices for items we use everyday. Prices are going up due to inflation and our Federal Reserve’s refusal to stop printing more money. The other part of the country does not want any spending cuts because this means government entitlements such as Veteran’s Assistance, Social Security, Medicare, Welfare and other government programs would be slashed in order to reel in deficits.

Another news flash: This country cannot sustain these obligations any longer.

Either way you look at it, the United States of America, and if I can say this kind-heartedly… is screwed.

Unless some miracle happens, we now have 7 days and counting until the start of the financial crisis. In some regard, many Tea-Party supporters want the country to default on its obligations, and some economists say that the actual default will not even begin until several years down the road.

Or maybe, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner can magically come up with that “rainy day fund” account like the last time he scared Americans into the looming crisis back in May.

Your Relative Tax Burden

Foxnews.com has a widget that calculates your share of National Debt.

Here is the link.

A small hint – the total will be more than your annual salary.