#OCCUPYWALLSTREET campaign - September 17

[justdrew]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

[Wombaticus Rex]

.

Jaysus, Wombat, no one here in this discussion so far is going to call you a fed or fascist and I doubt you're alone.

Thankfully not! No, that comment was motivated by a combination between 1) the angry comments on Holland's article and 2) my email inbox.

[justdrew]

ok, the NW article may indeed be a bit overstating the evidentiary case... but the JH response was way overboard. I suspect he's pissed due to her having theoretically taken alternet's name in vain.

First, I was also confused by Wolf's saying that a bit of press about the routine Congressional insider trading was a major motive for OWS (as opposed to about three dozen other things), or that it was a motive for the crackdown on OWS - which may have been coordinated by DHS, but certainly not ordered directly by "Congress" (or Peter King, whose function is oversight, not command).

Congressional insider trading is a major thing to hang some outrage on, surely it's due for some attention, but yeah, it's only been widely known about a short time now. but it would be a significant issue to get some leverage with. As for Peter King, such oversight functionaries have traditionally been represented as having significant sway with executive branch departments, he's a key player in funding levels at least.

One thing about Congressional insider trading... one primary source for their insider information would be... LOBBYISTS.

[justdrew]

Friday, November 18, 2011
Percy Bysshe Shelley at Occupy Wall Street

Yesterday’s heroic actions, both here in the US and abroad, of the rising Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement have put me in mind of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s magnificent poem, The Mask of Anarchy.
Mask was written in 1819, following the Peterloo Massacre. In August, 1819, the cavalry attacked a crowd of some 70,000 peaceful protestors who had gathered to demand reforms of parliamentary representation. It was a time of incredible unemployment, and austerity measures on behalf of the government were making matters worse. During the demonstration, local authorities called on the military to arrest the movement’s leader, Henry Hunt, and other key followers.
In a manner that eerily foreshadows recent events in New York, Portland, Seattle and Oakland, the cavalry charged into the crowd with drawn swords. Some 15 people were murdered during this early police action, and more than 500 were injured. Wags of the time called the massacre Peterloo in an ironic comparison to the recent Battle of Waterloo.
Shelley (1792-1822) -- idealist, humanist and liberal – was appalled at the heavy-handed behavior of the government, and at the unthinking violence on the part of the cavalry. He wrote The Mask of Anarchy in response, but the poem was not published until 1832, after the poet had drowned off the coast of Italy. It was published with a preface by fellow poet Leigh Hunt, who had initially withheld it from publication because he “thought that the public at large had not become sufficiently discerning to do justice to the sincerity and kind-heartedness of the spirit that walked in this flaming robe of verse.”
Readers who want to read the whole poem can see an online edition of the 1832 first edition here: http://www.archive.org/stream/masqueanarchyap00huntgoog#page/n6/mode/2up
I’d to close today with my favorite passage from the poem:

Stand ye calm and resolute,
Like a forest close and mute,
With folded arms and looks which are
Weapons of unvanquished war.

And if then the tyrants dare,
Let them ride among you there,
Slash, and stab, and maim and hew,
What they like, that let them do.

With folded arms and steady eyes,
And little fear, and less surprise
Look upon them as they slay
Till their rage has died away

Then they will return with shame
To the place from which they came,
And the blood thus shed will speak
In hot blushes on their cheek.

Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you-
Ye are many — they are few

The Peterloo Massacre was one of the defining moments of its age, as, I believe, OWS will prove to be to ours. The poem should be required reading for the police of our once-great nation.

[Aurataur]

WOW!

I just got home from what was, at the time of this writing, a completely successful defense of the Occupy Los Angeles encampment. Words do little justice for what we experienced tonight. Magnanimous. Incredible. Inspiring. Invigorating. Amazing! Truly one of the greatest moments I have ever experienced. It was a show of force. The powerful force of peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience. We would not be moved.

I arrived at 7:00pm, just before the start of the General Assembly. There were at least three thousand people present at the start of the GA and this number just continued to grow as we approached the 12:01 deadline. When the clock struck midnight, there must have been at least 10,000 people there. Others estimated as many as 20,000.

Simply put, there was nothing the LAPD could do to evict this Occupation.

I will post pictures tomorrow. Now, it's bedtime!

[American Dream]

Resistance Takes Root in Barcelona

November 28, 2011

By Hilary Wainwright
Source: Red Pepper Magazine


The Catalans have a phrase: *em planto*. It has a double meaning: ‘I plant,’ or ‘I've had enough.’ At end of the huge 15 October demonstration of Indignados <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indignados> (‘outraged’) in Barcelona – the papers put it at around 250,000 – we were greeted with an impromptu garden under the Arc de Triomf, the end point of the march. Campaigners for food sovereignty had planted vegetables in well-spaced rows, ready for long term cultivation.

The point was partly an ecological one. But the surrounding placards indicated that the gardeners also intended it to make a symbolic point about the broader significance of the march. “Plantemos” declared a large cardboard placard, meaning: “we plant ourselves” – “we stand firm.”

Mariel, who was dressed as a bee – essential to flourishing horticulture and now facing pesticidal destruction – explained that the activists who organized the garden were part of the agro-ecology bloc on the march. The march as a whole had several layers of self-organization that became apparent at certain moments. There were three main focal themes – all issues on which active alliances had come together over recent months:
education (yellow flags), health (green flags) and housing (red flags).


Assemblies to Discuss Actions

As we approached the Arc de Triomf, someone on a loud hailer announced that the different directions in which those following each of the themes should go, guided by an open lorry carrying the appropriate flag. The idea was that the demonstration would end not with speeches to the assembled masses, on the traditional model. Instead, the plan was to hold assemblies to discuss action and alternatives to cuts and privatization.

News came through later in the evening that two of these assemblies had taken action, leading an occupation of a third hospital – two that were making redundancies had already been occupied the day before the demonstration. They had also squatted a large unoccupied building to turn it into housing for ten families. Evictions have become a focus of intense conflict in Barcelona as the numbers grow every day.

As well as clusters around themes, it was the regular neighbourhood assemblies, feeding into an occasional assembly of assemblies, that were the organism that gave the demonstration its impressive life.

The neighbourhood assemblies emerged in early summer this year, following the birth of the Indignados movement in the occupations of the squares of Spain and Greece. As the occupation of Barcelona's Plaça de Catalunya reached its peak toward the end of May and the general assembly in the square began to plan its future, the locus of organized indignation spread to the neighbourhoods – sometimes reviving or connecting with pre-existing neighbourhood associations, sometimes building on quite dense social bonds.

For example, the assembly from Sant Andreu, a predominantly working-class neighbourhood in the north of the city, marched for over an hour to reach the demonstration, proudly announcing their assembly on their yellow T-shirts.

Like many on the demonstration, they brought handmade placards. Some of their slogans were specific: “education is not for sale,” “for high quality education; against the cuts.” Others were more general: “nothing to lose; all to gain,” “the system is dead, the people are alive.” A lot of these homemade banners highlighted the exhaustion and corruption of the political system, one offering a reward: “2,000 euro for an honest politician.” Abstentions could be high in November's elections. [Ed.: for election results see here<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_general_election,_2011>.]


Trade Union Participation

There is disillusionment too with trade unions. In the occupation of the square earlier this year, it was not only parties that were not wanted, but also the unions. They had been part of a social contract with the government that had let workers down, leading to a fall in wages and weak protection. Most significantly, they showed no concern – and often hostility – to the growing numbers of people, especially among the young, who had no chance of a long term job. Yesterday only the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo), the union founded by the anarchists and still less bureaucratized than other trade unions, dared show its face.

Interestingly, though, there are signs of workers recovering the confidence to organize in their workplaces as a direct result of the collective action taking place on the streets, and waking up the unions in the process.

Bea recently worked in a call centre. She remembers the fear that made her fellow workers timid and passive. She was impressed that after the occupations of the squares, the call centre workers went on strike over injustices they had previously suffered in silence. “It was as if the strength of the example of collective action on the square gave them the confidence, broke through the fear,” she said.

Where this kind of awakening will lead is unclear. General goals are clearly expressed: real democracy based on popular assemblies in the neighbourhoods, reform of the electoral system for different levels of government, the right of referendums including on the European level, an end to cuts and privatization of public services, banks and finance under public control, economic development based on co-operation, self-management and a social economy – the list is long and elaborate (see here http://www.rebelion.org/noticia_pdf.php?id=133748 , for example).


New Vision, New Sources of Power

The important, distinguishing feature of this vision of change is that it is not centred on what governments should do. Rather it is a guide to action at many levels, starting with what the people can do collaboratively, through spaces they occupy, resources they reclaim, new sources of power they create. There is a self-consciousness that the creation of far-reaching alternatives will take time. In conversation, the slogans are put in context: “we're going slowly, because we are going far” is a common saying.

One thing is certain: the energy, creativity and will comes from outside the existing institutions. Bargaining, pressure, people and organizations that bridge the outside and the inside will no doubt be part of the process of change, but the established institutions have lost the initiative.

There is no bravado about this. Among those I talked to on our way home from the Arc de Triomf and the improvised garden, there was anxiety as well as elation at the size and success of the demonstration. “I feel some people are looking for leaders,” said Nuria, a translator and free culture activist.

But in the many levels of organization producing this impressive show not only of anger but of serious engagement in creating alternatives, it becomes clear that this is not a leaderless’ movement. It is emerging, experimentally perhaps, as movement where leadership is shared and is learnt – a movement that can grow and flourish as well as stand firm.



Hilary Wainwright is editor of Red Pepper http://www.redpepper.org.uk/ magazine where this article was first published.

From: Z Net - The Spirit Of Resistance Lives
URL: http://www.zcommunications.org/resistan ... inwright-1

[2012 Countdown]

Okay, on a different note... some good news!

Just ten minutes ago I ran into Scott Olsen (the marine who got shot in the head) in downtown Oakland. It's his first day back on the scene, and he seems to be doing quite well. He's wearing a neck brace but he gets around and is talking perfectly fine. And I say if he's rebounded from the crackdown on the Occupy movement, the rest of us can rebound and rebuild camps that are better than ever.

Thank you for your post.


Uploaded by StaticisStranded2 on Nov 28, 2011
Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran injured at the Occupy Oakland encampment on October 25 has since been released from the hospital and gave his first interview yesterday which was posted this morning (Monday November 28, 2011) on indybay.org by Dave Id.

In the interview Scott talks about the challenges he faces after being hit in the head by a projectile at Occupy Oakland, specifically the traumatic brain injury he sustained and the weeks of therapy it took for him to regain his speech. His skull was fractured in the incident and he suffered some brain damage which affected the speech center of his brain. in the video it is evident that he still struggles a bit with speaking. But Olsen states that he is doing much better than he was.

He also addresses the city of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department who are investigating the incident, stating that he is waiting to see what they are going to say about themselves in their own investigations. Olsen also conveys at end of the interview that the Occupy Movement was intended to be peaceful and should remain that way - that by working together and being open with one another would solve most of the problems that the movement faces with bureaucracy.

The full story can be read by following the enclosed link:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/1 ... 701164.php

[seemslikeadream]

[Elihu]

http://thedailybell.com/3298/The-Real-R ... ed-Records

......The early 1930s Pecora Hearings and subsequent "regulation" were nothing but a gigantic show for the increasingly embittered and bankrupt masses. A sickening display of pandering and abysmal failure dressed up sanctimonious language and hypocritical anodynes. There are few words to describe the malevolent dysfunction of the system that was created.

And now the powers-that-be have likely decided to do it all over again! That's probably the reason Bloomberg pursued its lawsuit – to whip up further indignation against the "system." That's how it looks now, anyway.

We couldn't figure it out, not for more than a year. It was one of those anomalies that you run into in this obscure line of work (analyzing elite dominant social themes). But it's becoming clearer now as this news comes out ...

We've been aware of the signals for some time, and have written about them ... the whipping-up of sentiment against "Wall Street," the faux indignation of the 99 percent against the "one percent," the lemming-like statements that "Wall Street" needs to "pay" for its "crimes."

In times such as these, the fingers are pointing at specific Wall Street firms as if they were the problem rather than the Money Power of the power-elites roster of central banks worldwide. This is ALWAYS the way the top familial elites deal with their difficulties.

Just read a little financial history to see for yourself. Of course, most of this financial history is locked up on obscure library shelves in various university libraries. You can find plenty of bios about Michael Jackson, but try to find a legitimate history of the NYSE. Good luck.

And why is that? Because "they" don't want you to know........Over and over on these modest pages we've written that the real power resides with the power elite and its ability to print-money-from-nothing using central banks. These people want to run the world (formally as opposed to informally) and they have created a faux reality we call "dreamtime" in order to facilitate their cause.

Part of that reality includes a kind of rhetorical escape hatch. When this turgid, unstable central-banking system collapses (as it does over and over again) the powers-that-be point their collective finger at their favorite scapegoat: the Securities Industry – especially in America where it is most powerful.

In fact, here is how you can tell an apologist-for-the-system from a freedom-fighter in this "sophisticated" day and age: They will claim the problem lies with Wall Street crookery rather than with the larger system of printing counterfeit money (central banking).

And thus our conclusion as regards Bloomberg. Mike Bloomberg himself is surely a card-carrying member of the elite, isn't he? His firm was given tremendous advantages by Merrill Lynch that initially held 30 percent of his firm and supposedly in return gave him insider prices on long Treasuries from their Desk. That's why people bought his machines initially, as we understand it, not for their "technology."

So Mike does what's necessary to save the franchise, in our humble opinion (the Fed franchise). He even sues to force the US Federal Reserve to open up its books about its 2008 bailouts. (Yes, we know, during the course of the legal action, the reporter from Bloomberg who initiated it died of a heart attack but Bloomberg as a corporation persevered).

As a result, we now know that the Fed disbursed some US$13 trillion to American commercial banks! This has caused a firestorm. But watch ... The powers-that-be, the manipulators behind this latest elite meme will NOT blame the Federal Reserve. They will chase after the "crooks" on Wall Street.

It would be funny if it were not pathetic. The top men of Wall Street don't fully understand the system, either. They think their elite masters (the tip-top elite families and their enablers and associates) will protect them.

They don't understand yet what is barreling down upon them! They are, in this regard, as naïve as children! Soon they are to pay for their conniving and scheming. They are the metaphorical alibi and they will be sacrificed to make sure that public anger is focused on securities shenanigans rather than on the larger horror of printing-money-from-nothing.

That's how all this works. Soon enough (after Obama – or whomever – is reelected) the hearings shall commence. America shall be thoroughly disgusted by the crimes committed on Wall Street. Toward the end of the hearings, when the public is fully aroused, Ben Bernanke shall appear before the Congressional Commission to proclaim his sorrow and shock.

Yes, The Bernank shall explain that he "didn't know" and that the Fed "failed" in its supervisory powers. The congressmen shall be furious. They shall castigate The Bernank. They shall pontificate and perorate. They shall call down the very Hounds of Hell on The Bernank and his incompetence.

And then ... they shall give the Fed MORE power to do what it does best – put small banks and small securities firms out of business....contd...

the ripoff is real and so are the grievances. but be careful. there's only two things behind that red cape: air and a sword...

[Elihu]

Conclusion: So here's a thought ... Could we remove the following to create change? (And how the heck did this happen in the first place?) ...

***

BIS Offices: Switzerland, Hong Kong, México ...

Central Banks of the World ...

Afghanistan: Bank of Afghanistan
Albania: Bank of Albania
Algeria: Bank of Algeria
Argentina: Central Bank of Argentina
Armenia: Central Bank of Armenia
Aruba: Central Bank of Aruba
Australia: Reserve Bank of Australia
Austria: Austrian National Bank
Azerbaijan: Central Bank of Azerbaijan Republic
Bahamas: Central Bank of The Bahamas
Bahrain: Central Bank of Bahrain
Bangladesh: Bangladesh Bank
Barbados: Central Bank of Barbados
Belarus: National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
Belgium: National Bank of Belgium
Belize: Central Bank of Belize
Benin: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Bermuda: Bermuda Monetary Authority
Bhutan: Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan
Bolivia: Central Bank of Bolivia
Bosnia: Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana: Bank of Botswana
Brazil: Central Bank of Brazil
Bulgaria: Bulgarian National Bank
Burkina Faso: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Burundi: Bank of the Republic of Burundi
Cambodia: National Bank of Cambodia
Cameroon: Bank of Central African States
Canada: Bank of Canada - Banque du Canada
Cayman Islands: Cayman Islands Monetary Authority
Central African Republic: Bank of Central African States
Chad: Bank of Central African States
Chile: Central Bank of Chile
China: The People's Bank of China
Colombia: Bank of the Republic
Comoros: Central Bank of Comoros
Congo: Bank of Central African States
Costa Rica: Central Bank of Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Croatia: Croatian National Bank
Cuba: Central Bank of Cuba
Cyprus: Central Bank of Cyprus
Czech Republic: Czech National Bank
Denmark: National Bank of Denmark
Dominican Republic: Central Bank of the Dominican Republic
East Caribbean area: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Ecuador: Central Bank of Ecuador
Egypt: Central Bank of Egypt
El Salvador: Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea: Bank of Central African States
Estonia: Bank of Estonia
Ethiopia: National Bank of Ethiopia
European Union: European Central Bank
Fiji: Reserve Bank of Fiji
Finland: Bank of Finland
France: Bank of France
Gabon: Bank of Central African States
The Gambia: Central Bank of The Gambia
Georgia: National Bank of Georgia
Germany: Deutsche Bundesbank
Ghana: Bank of Ghana
Greece: Bank of Greece
Guatemala: Bank of Guatemala
Guinea Bissau: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Guyana: Bank of Guyana
Haiti: Central Bank of Haiti
Honduras: Central Bank of Honduras
Hong Kong: Hong Kong Monetary Authority
Hungary: Magyar Nemzeti Bank
Iceland: Central Bank of Iceland
India: Reserve Bank of India
Indonesia: Bank Indonesia
Iran: The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iraq: Central Bank of Iraq
Ireland: Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland
Israel: Bank of Israel
Italy: Bank of Italy
Jamaica: Bank of Jamaica
Japan: Bank of Japan
Jordan: Central Bank of Jordan
Kazakhstan: National Bank of Kazakhstan
Kenya: Central Bank of Kenya
Korea: Bank of Korea
Kuwait: Central Bank of Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan: National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
Latvia: Bank of Latvia
Lebanon: Central Bank of Lebanon
Lesotho: Central Bank of Lesotho
Libya: Central Bank of Libya
Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania
Luxembourg: Central Bank of Luxembourg
Macao: Monetary Authority of Macao
Macedonia: National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia
Madagascar: Central Bank of Madagascar
Malawi: Reserve Bank of Malawi
Malaysia: Central Bank of Malaysia
Mali: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Malta: Central Bank of Malta
Mauritius: Bank of Mauritius
Mexico: Bank of Mexico
Moldova: National Bank of Moldova
Mongolia: Bank of Mongolia
Montenegro: Central Bank of Montenegro
Morocco: Bank of Morocco
Mozambique: Bank of Mozambique
Namibia: Bank of Namibia
Nepal: Central Bank of Nepal
Netherlands: Netherlands Bank
Netherlands Antilles: Bank of the Netherlands Antilles
New Zealand: Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Nicaragua: Central Bank of Nicaragua
Niger: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Nigeria: Central Bank of Nigeria
Norway: Central Bank of Norway
Oman: Central Bank of Oman
Pakistan: State Bank of Pakistan
Papua New Guinea: Bank of Papua New Guinea
Paraguay: Central Bank of Paraguay
Peru: Central Reserve Bank of Peru
Philippines: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Poland: National Bank of Poland
Portugal: Bank of Portugal
Qatar: Qatar Central Bank
Romania: National Bank of Romania
Russia: Central Bank of Russia
Rwanda: National Bank of Rwanda
San Marino: Central Bank of the Republic of San Marino
Samoa: Central Bank of Samoa
Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
Senegal: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Serbia: National Bank of Serbia
Seychelles: Central Bank of Seychelles
Sierra Leone: Bank of Sierra Leone
Singapore: Monetary Authority of Singapore
Slovakia: National Bank of Slovakia
Slovenia: Bank of Slovenia
Solomon Islands: Central Bank of Solomon Islands
South Africa: South African Reserve Bank
Spain: Bank of Spain
Sri Lanka: Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Sudan: Bank of Sudan
Surinam: Central Bank of Suriname
Swaziland: The Central Bank of Swaziland
Sweden: Sveriges Riksbank
Switzerland: Swiss National Bank
Tajikistan: National Bank of Tajikistan
Tanzania: Bank of Tanzania
Thailand: Bank of Thailand
Togo: Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO)
Tonga: National Reserve Bank of Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago: Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia: Central Bank of Tunisia
Turkey: Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey
Uganda: Bank of Uganda
Ukraine: National Bank of Ukraine
United Arab Emirates: Central Bank of United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom: Bank of England
United States: The Dirty Nasty Stinky Fed, Federal Reserve Bank of New York
Uruguay: Central Bank of Uruguay
Vanuatu: Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
Venezuela: Central Bank of Venezuela
Vietnam: The State Bank of Vietnam
Yemen: Central Bank of Yemen
Zambia: Bank of Zambia
Zimbabwe: Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe

[Hammer of Los]

“It was as if the strength of the example of collective action on the square gave them the confidence, broke through the fear,” she said.

Where this kind of awakening will lead is unclear. General goals are clearly expressed: real democracy based on popular assemblies in the neighbourhoods, reform of the electoral system for different levels of government, the right of referendums including on the European level, an end to cuts and privatization of public services, banks and finance under public control, economic development based on co-operation, self-management and a social economy – the list is long and elaborate (see here http://www.rebelion.org/noticia_pdf.php?id=133748 , for example).


New Vision, New Sources of Power

The important, distinguishing feature of this vision of change is that it is not centred on what governments should do. Rather it is a guide to action at many levels, starting with what the people can do collaboratively, through spaces they occupy, resources they reclaim, new sources of power they create. There is a self-consciousness that the creation of far-reaching alternatives will take time. In conversation, the slogans are put in context: “we're going slowly, because we are going far” is a common saying.

One thing is certain: the energy, creativity and will comes from outside the existing institutions.

That article was too perfect. Thanks for that AD.

And of course yours too JustDrew. Just perfect, thanks a bunch. Oh, except Shelley's version should be updated. I wouldn't just stand there and take a pepper spray in the face. I would at least run away, maybe do a little more to protect the innocent if I could. I don't know, I am rather a physical coward. I keep telling myself not to hate or fear the materia, but you know that's a trifle difficult sometimes.

Stand ye calm and resolute,
Like a forest close and mute,
With folded arms and looks which are
Weapons of unvanquished war.
...
Silly bit in the middle about
letting tyrants slash and stab
whomever they like. What rubbish!
...
Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number,
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you-
Ye are many — they are few

[JackRiddler]

.

I'm glad this Daily Bell fellow is finally waking people up to how the unnamed real power elite of six families have made victims of the pretty much powerless honest businesspeople of Wall Street. It's horrible, the way central bankers and government are using the anti-business broadcast media to gin up the unproductive masses into a lynch mob against the free private bankers who create the wealth. I'm sending Daily Bell the recommended $250 minimum donation today, albeit in fiat currency. I wish my gainful employment allowed me to send more, but I can't just ask for a raise, because that would make me a parasite!

.

[Nordic]

Its got me wondering, though, with the disclosure yesterday of the 7.77 trillion dollars that the Fed pulled out of its ass in a few short months to bail out the broken system.

7.77 trillion. There's that number again. Somebody somewhere is laughing their ass off.

All this talk of "there's no money for this, there's no money for that" yet the Fed can wave their magic wand and simply create their mystical jackpot any time they feel like it.

Gotta admit that is a wizard-like power that nobody should really have.

Or should they?

My rent is due the day after tomorrow and I don't have it. Where's my magic wand?

[undead]

My rent is due the day after tomorrow and I don't have it. Where's my magic wand?

[Plutonia]